fig bars

We love a good treat in our household. What we don’t love is a blood sugar spike and crash that sends all of us to cranky town. Try this recipe and see what you think! Figs are such an excellent food for soothing and moistening the digestive tract during the colder and dryer time of year.

HEALTHY FIG BARS

For the dough:

·         1/4 cup oats

·         1 cup raw almonds

·         1 cup raw pecans

·         1/4 tsp sea salt

·         1/2 cup firmly packed pitted dates (about 10 dates)

For the filling:

·         about 1/2 cup dried black mission figs (plus hot water for soaking)

·         1 teaspoon orange zest

·         1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         1 pinch sea salt

·         8-10 whole pitted dates 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and arrange oats and nuts on a baking sheet. Bake for 8-12 minutes, rotating the pan near the halfway mark to ensure even cooking, until golden brown and fragrant. Set aside.

Once slightly cooled, add oats, nuts, and sea salt to a food processor and process into a fine meal with salt. Remove from processor and set aside.

Add pitted dates to food processor and mix/pulse until small bits remain or it forms a ball. Scoop out and set aside.

Add nuts and oats back to food processor and spoon in the mixed dates. Mix/pulse until a loose dough is formed when squeezed between two fingers.

Spread the “dough” onto a clean parchment-lined surface and top flatten down with hands. Then top with another piece of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to flatten into a 1/4-inch thick sheet. Remove top sheet of parchment paper and use hands to form into a rectangle. Then halve with a knife so there are two equal strips.

Add figs (stems removed) to a mixing bowl and cover with hot (not boiling) water. Soak for 3 minutes, then drain but reserve fig water for later (to thin filling).

 Add figs to food processor and blend into a ball (see photo), then add orange zest, ground cinnamon, salt and mix. Add reserved date water a little at a time until it starts to form a paste, but be careful not to add too much – you want it to be thick but spreadable.

Next add as many dates as desired to sweeten and blend to combine.

Spread the fig paste into 1-inch-thick lines down the center of your two date-nut strips. Be careful not to add too much filling that your cookie dough can’t fold over. You may have leftover filling (which can be reserved to add to baked goods, oatmeal, or future cookies).

Next use the parchment paper to gently roll the edges of the dough over the fig filling until your two dough ends meet. The dough may crack a little, but because it’s moist it will reform as you continue rolling/forming. Like sushi, use the parchment paper to tighten and gently form the seams of the dough together.

For ease of transfer, cut both of the cookie logs in half and use a spatula or pie server to gently transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Freeze for at least 30 minutes (up to 1 hour or overnight) to set/firm up. Then use a sharp knife to slice into roughly 1-inch slices. There should be about 22 cookies.

Enjoy immediately. Store in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month! They’re delicious and tender right out of the fridge.