Oranges and figs are favorite flavors of mine, so I figured they would go very well together. They do, indeed, make a perfect couple. Figs have an impressive makeup, so if you would like to read more about figs, checkout Healthline. I found quite a few jams that are in the marketplace called Orange and Fig Jams. I was astonished because I do not recall ever seeing that in the local stores in my area, but I guess it is time I will take a second look.
With the soft filling of the orange and figs plus the soft cookies with the cream cheese, I needed a little crunch. Of course, that almost always means adding some kind of nut. I could not think of a better nut for this combination than the all-mighty walnut. Something else I learned, you can purchase Fig and Walnut Butter in a jar, I had no idea they even made it. Hope you enjoy this cookie!
Orange Fig Thumbprint Cookies
Barbara HallIngredients
ORANGE FIG FILLING
- 8 oz Figs cut small
- ¼ cup Sugar white
- 1 tablespoon Orange zest
- ¼ cup Orange juice fresh
- ½ teaspoon Lemon zest
- 1 cup Water
- ⅓ cup Chopped walnuts
COOKIE DOUGH
- 8 oz Cream Cheese softened
- 1 cup Butter unsalted 2 sticks room temperature
- 1 cup Sugar white 198 g
- 2 ½ cups All purpose flour 300 g
Instructions
ORANGE FIG FILLING
- Cut off the stems of the figs and then cut them into small pieces—zest and juice one orange into separate bowls. You should be able to get ¼ cup of juice from one orange, in a third bowl, zest one lemon. You just want the yellow and not any of the white that is under the outer skin.
- Add the cut-up figs, orange zest, orange juice, lemon zest, sugar, and water to a small saucepan and turn the burner to medium heat. You want to bring this to a boil. You can adjust the temperature, so it is a low boil and not a hard boil. You want the liquid to evaporate. Stir often, you don't want the mixture to dry out. As the mixture starts to get thicker, I take a wooden spoon and begin smashing the figs to help break them up. You want to remove the saucepan from the heat when you have about a tablespoon or a little more liquid left in the bottom of the saucepan. Pour into a bowl so it can cool down. It usually takes about 10-15 minutes. Stir once in a while to keep it moist. Finally, add the chopped up walnuts and incorporate them into the fig mixture.
COOKIE DOUGH
- In a stand or hand-held mixer on medium speed, blend the butter and cream cheese, and you get small soft peaks on the side of your bowl. Add the sugar and mix for 2 to 3 minutes. I turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides and across the bottom and just turn the mixer back on for about 30 seconds. Turn the mixer down low and slowly add the flour till incorporated. Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat over to 350° and line 2 cookie sheet pans with parchment paper. I used a medium cookie scoop for the cookie ball. If you use a small cookie scoop, you will need to drop the time it takes for them to bake. I would start to look at them at the 9-minute mark and adjust accordingly. Taking a medium cookie scoop, roll them into a ball with your hand if the dough has gotten too cold and hard warm the cookie dough ball in your hand. It will make it easier to do the thumbprint.
- Put your thumb straight down into the ball and then just spread out the hole a little so you have a lovely well for the fig filling. Add the fig filling using a teaspoon. Press down slightly to secure the mixture—Bake for 13-15 minutes. You should see light brown around the bottom edges, and you want the bottoms to be light brown. Once the cookies are taken out of the oven, leave them on the cookie sheet pan for a couple of minutes, then move to a cooling rack. If the bottom of the cookies are pale in color add a few minutes to the time they are finished baking.
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