Gluten-Free Fig Newton Recipe

This guest post comes from our contributor FP Naomi.

When life gives you figs, make fig newtons. It’s a lesson I learned after stumbling upon free figs one Friday afternoon. We were getting ready to leave the office, and noticed someone had left a flat in the kitchen with a free sign. In season and ripe, I couldn’t help myself. They reminded me of fresh markets in Israel and long summers in Italy. I grabbed a bunch and quickly got them home.  Over the stove the figs turned into preserves. When it came time to assemble, I jazzed them up with a little goat cheese and rolled everything up in a gluten free dough. The perfect in-season treat, they’ll win over event the biggest gluten-free skeptics. You can ask my boyfriend, he ate more than half the batch in one day. Don’t tell him I told you ;).

Fig Preserves:

Ingredients:

3 ½ Cups Fresh Figs – Stemmed & Quartered

1 Cup Raw Cane Sugar

1 ¼ Cup Water

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

–          Throw all ingredients in a sauce pot and bring to a boil

–          Once boiling, turn flame down to a slow simmer

–          Let simmer until preserves lightly cling to the pan when you drag a wooden spoon through (2-3hrs)

–          Remove from heat and let cool

Gluten-Free Pastry Dough:

Ingredients:

*Adapted from Gluten Free Homemaker

¾ Cup Brown Rice Flour

¾ Cup Millet Flour

¼ Cup Sweet Rice Flour

¼ Cup Potato Starch

1 Tbsp Xantham Gum

2 Tsp Sugar

1 Tsp Unflavored Gelatin

½ Tsp Salt

1 Large Egg

8 Tbsp Butter

¼ Cup + 1 Tbsp Almond Milk

Directions:

–          Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl

–          In a separate bowl, beat together almond milk and egg

–          Combine the milk and melted butter with the dry ingredients and mix with a fork

–          Using your hands, mush the dough into a ball and work it until smooth.

–          Wrap the dough in plastic, and let refrigerate for at least an hour

Filling:

Ingredients:

1 Cup Preserves

4 Tbsp Goat Cheese

Directions:

–          Mix ingredients together in a bowl and set aside

Assembly:

–          Roll out the dough on a well (gluten free) floured surface until about a ¼ inch thick

–          Making a 4” x  15” long strip, cut off rough edges to make a smooth rectangle

–          Line one half with fig preserve and goat cheese mixture

–          Fold dough over the top and press edges closed

–          Cut into approx. 1.5 inch fig newtons

–          Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes

Visit Naomi’s blog, Numie Abbot.

More healthy recipes from the BLDG 25 Blog.