Recipe: Fig Bars

These fig bars may look impressive, but I promise,  they’re super easy to make and delicious to boot!

Ingredients:

Shortbread base:

1/2 cup Earth Balance

1/4 brown sugar OR (1/8 cup sugar  + 1/8 cup molasses) OR 1/4 cup maple sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Fig Topping:

2 1/3 cups (13 oz) dried figs

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar OR 1/2 cup maple sugar

1 1/2 cups water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly grease a baking dish and line with parchment paper (make sure the parchment paper is hanging over the sides, so you can lift the bars out easily). Beat the the earth balance, brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon until well combined, then mix in the flour using a spoon until well mixed.  Press the mixture into your baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

Put the dried figs, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let the figs simmer for 20 minutes until they are soft and the liquid has reduced.  Place the mixture in a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Spread the fig mixture over the shortbread base and bake for 12 minutes.  Allow to cool completely, then lift out and cut into squares.

Enjoy!