Fig & Walnut Bars

Forever I miss my Arab father’s way with mint leaves
floating in a cup of sugared tea—his delicate hands
arranging rinsed figs on a plate. What have we here?
said the wolf in the children’s story
stumbling upon people doing kind, small things.
Is this small monster one of us?

–Naomi Shihab Nye, “You Are Your Own State Department”

These fig and walnut bars are heavenly with just the right amount of sweetness. Homemade fig paste helps to thicken the walnut filling, and the fig seeds add an addicting crunch!

In North Carolina, other summer fruits like berries. peaches, and melons tend to overshadow figs. But figs are fascinating—they’re like inside-out flowers! Multiple flowers bloom inside the shell of the unripened fig, and then every encapsulated flower produces a crunchy seed.

Walnuts aren’t harvested until autumn, but bunches of green husks hiding walnut shells can be seen growing in the walnut trees during the summer!

Figs and walnuts are wonderful together—they are a classic combination seen a lot in bread and cheese. I’m not a cheese lover, but if these were cut into bite-sized pieces, they would fit right in on a charcuterie and cheese board with fruits, crusty bread, crackers, and glasses of wine.

In this bar recipe, dried figs are softened in lemon-scented water, and then the rest of the filling ingredients are added to the same pan to make it super easy. The figs add a lot of sticky sweetness, so there’s only a smallish amount of sugar and honey (and butter, of course) added to make the filling.

FIG & WALNUT BARS

Makes ten rectangular bars, or twenty small square bites

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRUST

• 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (26 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, diced and cold
• 4 tablespoons cold water

FOR THE FILLING

• 4 dried figs, diced into small pieces
• 3 tablespoons water
• the zest of one medium lemon
• the juice of one medium lemon
• a pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups (168 g) chopped walnuts
• 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons (63 g) honey
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• flaked sea salt, such as Maldon, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line an 8×8 baking pan with a parchment sling and grease lightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cubed, cold butter with a pastry cutter until pea sized crumbs form. Slowly drizzle in the water and work the dough until it begins to come together; knead to form a cohesive ball. Press the dough into the pan, pushing up into the corners and sides.

Freeze the dough for 10 minutes, then bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until slightly golden.

While the crust is baking, heat the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt in a medium saucepan. Once the water begins to simmer, add the diced figs and cook on low for about 15 minutes. Use a spatula to mush the figs often so they turn paste-like.

After the crust has pre-baked, set it aside to cool while making the rest of the filling.

Add the unsalted butter to the fig paste and turn the heat up to medium-low . Once the butter is melted and begins to foam, add the walnuts, honey, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and brandy if using. Let the mixture bubble and thicken, stirring often, for about three to four minutes.

Pour the fig and walnut filling over the crust, spreading the mixture evenly. Bake for 26-28 minutes or until the middle is mostly set with a slight jiggle. Sprinkle with flaked sea salt if desired. Let the bars cool completely before cutting.