Happy Fig Newton Day ! Recipe and memories

It’s National Fig Newton Day ! And to celebrate I am sharing a recipe for a quick and easy fig bar made with Dad’s figs. ( don’t have a jar ) -then you can make your own fig mixture.

• 1 pouch Betty C rocker Sugar Dough mix
• 1/2 C Cold butter
• 2 3/4 C dried figs (cleaned)
• 3/4 C warm water
• 1/4 C honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp lemon peel
• 1/2 C chopped Nuts

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13×9-inch pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, place cookie mix. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mix in opposite directions), until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool.
• Meanwhile, place figs and warm water in food processor. Cover; process until smooth paste forms. Add syrup and lemon peel; process until well blended. Spread fig mixture evenly over partially baked crust. ( If you have fig preserves blend until smooth)
• In small bowl, mix reserved 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture and the walnuts. Sprinkle over fig mixture.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 30 minutes. Cut into 6 rows by 4 rows.

My Dad is 87 years old and still every July he picks,cleans and puts up Fig Preserves. There Yummy to eat as is but my family uses them in Cakes and Cookies recipes all year. Always a tasty treat and this recipe is a great substitute of the classic Cookie. Lisa