More Than Just Preserves

Eight years ago, we made the move to Mississippi. I didn't realize that things would be so different, but I soon learned that our small Mississippi town is much different than the city we were living in only 45 miles away.  Not only is our little town quaint and quiet, it also has the charm the old South is known for.

It is amazing, but I now feel like Como is home.  It is after all, where I have lived the longest since I left my Mom and moved to college.  That being said, Oklahoma will always be where my roots are firmly planted.  Everyday that I read about the drought in Oklahoma, my heart breaks for all of my friends and family who are faced with the reality of no rain.  Sure, we have all lived through dry spells, but nothing like the drought of 2011. I continue to pray for rain for the entire region, and know that our prayers will be answered.

OK, back to my original story. When we moved into our house in Mississippi, I learned that we had a giant fig tree in our back yard.  I don't know that I had ever seen a fig tree, much less tasted a fresh fig. I think that the closest thing to a fig I had tasted was a Fig Newton, and I love them.  My neighbor was gracious enough to tell me about strawberry fig preserves, and I thought they were wonderful. Every year I have made a few batches of preserves, but never anything else.

Our figs are just now ready to pick.  Last night I tried one during our final night of VBS, and it was much better than I thought.  It was sweet, and reminded me of a soft peach.  I am not in love with them, but I now appreciate the tree that is attracting birds and bees to my backyard.

This morning, I picked up a bunch of figs off of the ground and thought I should make something creative.I am really not in the mood to put up more preserves, but I am not too sure what I was thinking.  I ended up with homemade fig cookies.  Much to my surprise, they are much better than the store bought variety, and if you are lucky enough to have fresh figs at your disposal, I would try your had at these delicate little cookies.

Fig Cookies

Filling

2 1/2 to 3 cups fresh figs, chopped
1 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Combine figs and sugar.  Allow to stand about 15 minutes and macerate.  Add lemon zest and cook over medium heat until thick.  My batch took about 15 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Cookie

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix well. Add flour, salt and baking powder and continue mixing until well combined.  Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

On a floured surface, roll cookie into a 12 x 16 inch square. Cut into four 4x12 strips.  Remove from surface and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Fill with fig filling and fold over to cover filling.  If possible, roll so that the seam side is down.  Mine were too thin, and I baked them seam side up.

Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until light golden brown.  Allow to cool, and slice with a sharp knife. 

Enjoy!

Until next time, keep adventuring and looking for joy in the small details of life!

Sarah