Homemade Fig Newtons

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix until well combined. Slowly add in the flour and mix until there is a smooth, uniform dough. Like a sugar cookie dough, I formed this into a smooth disc, wrapped it in plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator to chill. You could let it chill for an hour, or up to several days depending on your schedule.

For the figgy filling:
Finely chop the dried figs with a sharp knife. In a small sauce pan, combine the figs with the sugar, juice and water. Mix everything together and simmer uncovered about an hour, or until the figs are soft and most of the liquid has been reduced to a syrupy consistency. Then remove from heat and wait for the mixture to cool slightly and then add them to the bowl of a food processor, and process until you get a paste consistency.

Refrigerate the puree until cold, a few hours and up to a few days.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Prepare one large sheet pan with a silpat or a sheet of parchment paper.
Cut the disc of dough in half, and on a floured surface, roll out each half into an approximately 12×8″ rectangle. Trim the edges with a sharp knife so that it is an even rectangle. Cut this in half, so that you have two long strips, approximately 12×4″.

Spread ¼ of the fig mixture down the center of each of the strips. Fold the edges over so that they meet, and lightly seal them together, then fold the log over. Using a sharp knife (I think a serrated knife works best) cut the logs evenly into about 2″ long bars. Repeat this with the additional dough and fig filling.

Bake the fig bars until they are barely golden, but still quite pale. This took about 20 minutes, but every oven is different so keep an eye out after the 15 minute mark.