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Oatmeal Cookies:
3/4 cup (95 grams) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (105 grams) packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 cup (95 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
Fig Filling:
1 cup (150 grams) dried figs, stems removed and coarsely chopped
2/3 cup (160 ml) water
3 tablespoons (35 grams) granulated white sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon or orange zest
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Oatmeal Cookies: Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon in the bowl of your food processor. Process until combined. Add the cold pieces of butter and process until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the rolled oats, milk, and vanilla extract and process until the batter starts to clump together.
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment or wax paper until it is about 1/4 inch (.5 cm) thick. As you roll, periodically check the top and bottom sheets of parchment and smooth out any wrinkles. Place dough on a baking sheet (along with the parchment paper) and place in the refrigerator until cold and very firm (about 45-60 minutes). (For faster chilling, place in the freezer for about 15-30 minutes).
Once chilled, remove from refrigerator and peel off the top piece of parchment paper. Using about a 2 1/2 inch (7 cm) round cookie cutter, cut out the cookies. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Put the baking sheet with the cut out cookies in the refrigerator while you preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C), with the oven rack in the center position.
Meanwhile, gather up any scraps of leftover dough and re-roll. (You may need to refrigerate the dough again before cutting out the cookies.) Bake the cookies for about 12 - 14 minutes or until they are golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool while you make the fig filling.
Fig Filling: Place the figs, water, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the figs are soft and have absorbed most of the water (about 10 - 15 minutes). Remove from heat, leave to cool about 10 minutes, and then puree in your food processor until fairly smooth (a few lumps are fine).
To Assemble Cookies: Take one oatmeal cookie and spread a scant tablespoon of the fig filling on the flat bottom side of the cookie. Top with a second cookie, flat side down, and press together gently. Repeat with the remaining oatmeal cookies. The filled cookies can be covered and stored about 4 to 5 days.
Makes about 12 - 2 1/2 inch (7 cm) sandwich cookies.
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Old can become new again. Before Rick and I were married, I went through my mother's recipes and wrote down all the ones I liked. During the early years of our marriage, these were the recipes I made over and over again. But as the years went by, somehow the recipes were filed away and forgotten. Until recently, that is, when I pulled out my old recipe box and started making my mother's Fig Oatmeal Cookies. Even now, after years of making so many different types of cookies, these are still one of my favorites. This is a sandwich cookie that combines two buttery crisp oatmeal cookies with a soft filling of pureed dried figs. As with all sandwich cookies, at first the flavor and texture of the cookie is separate from that of the filling. But after a day the moist filling of dried figs permeates and softens the cookies and the flavors of the two combine to make one delicious cookie
First, this recipe makes about 12 - 2 1/2 inch (7 cm) sandwich cookies. If you would like a larger batch, you can double the recipe. Unlike the other Oatmeal Cookie recipes on the site, this cookie does not contain eggs. It's crisp texture and buttery flavor remind me of a shortbread cookie. I like to make the batter in a food processor, although you can make it by hand. This is a cut out cookie and since the batter is quite soft it will need to be chilled before you cut out the cookies. To speed up the process of chilling and cutting, as soon as the batter is made I roll it between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. Then just transfer it (along with the parchment paper) onto a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator until the dough is firm. This will take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes (can be made a day ahead). If you want to speed up the process even more, put it into the freezer instead (this will only take about 15-30 minutes). Once the cookies are cut out, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and then chill the cookies again while the oven is preheating. Doing this step will prevent the cookies from spreading as they bake. The baking time depends on how crisp you want the oatmeal cookies. I usually bake them until the edges of the cookies are golden. These cookies are wonderful on their own, and sometimes I just eat them as is, or dipped in melted chocolate.