Fig Newtons were a real thing when I was a youngster, we're talking like 1990 or so. But now I'm showing my age, so let's move on..... I remember when they came out with different flavours and those were pretty phenom, but not like what I got right here for you. These are some strictly adult Boozy Fig Newtons with lovely flavours of anise, coffee and orange running through. Quite the delight. The pastry crust is light and crumbly when they are fresh out of the dehydrator, but they go cakey once you pop them in the fridge. So, you get the best of both worlds.
Ingredients
Boozy Fig Jam
110gsambuca
½vanilla pod
1orange
50ghoney or maple
6-8drops orange essential oil
Pinchof clove powder
Pinchsea salt
175gturkish figs, hard stem removed
Wateras needed
Coffee Crunch Biscuit
Wet
100gwater
15gcold pressed sesame or nut oil
75glight maple syrup
75gcashews, soaked 1 hr and rinsed
8drops coffee medicine flower extract
8drops vanilla medicine flower extract
Pinchsea salt
15gpsyllium husk
Dry
45goat flour + more for rolling
60gground almonds
25gcoconut flour
2tbspcoffee beansroughly ground
Instructions
Boozy Fig Jam
Using a Y peeler, peel the orange. Be careful not to get too much of the white flesh as it adds bitterness.
Scrape the vanilla pod and add the beans and the empty pod to the saucepan in the next step.
Combine all ingredients, except the figs and water, in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. This is to remove the alcohol and steep the flavours -- vanilla, orange and clove.
Place the figs in a mason jar and pour the alcohol mixture over them. Top with water to cover and sit at room temp for 24 hours. After that, store in the fridge until ready to use.
Once ready to use, strain the figs from the liquid (reserve the liquid), remove the vanilla pods and pop them back with the liquid. We’ll use some of this for blending, but this liquid is gold. Add a shot to a cup of coffee and life is good.
Blend the figs and orange peel in a high speed blender or food processor until you reach a thick, sticky paste consistency. Add a little of the soak liquid if needed to help blend/process, but not too much. We don’t want this too loose.
Pop into a container or bowl and place in the fridge until ready to use.
Coffee Crunch Biscuit
Blend the first set of ingredients until smooth.
Add the psyllium and pulse to incorporate.
Mix the last set of ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
Add the contents of the blender and mix well with your hands until it comes together.
Form the mix into a ball and allow to rest 5 minutes to firm up.
If the dough is still a little sticky and soft add 1 tsp of coconut flour, mix through and allow to sit 2 mins before adding more if needed.
Roll the dough out between 2 pieces of greaseproof paper or teflex sheets to a ¼ inch thickness and into a rectangle shape. The length of the rectangle doesn’t matter as much as the depth, which should be approx 5 inches.
Evenly distribute ½ the filling into the centre of the dough, use a spoon or dampened fingers to smooth it down. The filling should take up about 1 inch depth.
Lift the teflex/greaseproof paper closest to you and gently fold the dough over the fig jam. Use a knife or bench scraper to cut away excess dough and the heel of your hand to gently press the log into shape.
Carefully transfer to a teflex sheet and continue with the remaining dough. You will have two logs in the end.
Dehydrate them on teflex at 150f for 4 - 6 hours and then transfer off teflex onto mesh for an additional 6 hours at 130f.
Using a damp knife, cut the logs every 1 ½ - 2 inches or however large/small you’d like the cookies.
Dehydrate again for 3-6 hours at 130f.
Cool before storing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They will go soft and cakey in the fridge, if you want them to be more crisp and flakey, pop back in the dehy for 1 hour or so before eating.