YIELD: 24 COOKIES
These delightful cookies, similar to commercial fig bars, are hearty and not-too-sweet. The key to these cookies is keeping the dough super cold. I advise chilling after each rolling and shaping to ensure stick-free, evenly rolled cookies with no frustration.
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the flaxseed meal with the water and let rest for about 5 minutes, until gelled.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until smooth.
Mix in the vanilla extract and prepared flaxseed meal.
In a separate, smaller, bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, and baking powder.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir well to combine.
Add the nondairy milk and mix until a soft dough forms.
Dust lightly with brown rice flour if sticky.
Wrap in parchment paper and chill in freezer for about 15 minutes, until cold.
Place all ingredients for the filling into a food processor and pulse until finely crumbled and sticky, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Take about one-third of the chilled dough and roll it out (in between two sheets of parchment paper) into a rectangle about 3½ inches wide and about ¼ inch thick.
Chill briefly, for about 5 minutes in the freezer.
Roll out a long snake of filling, as you would clay, about 1 inch wide, and place into the center of the rectangle.
Fold over each side of the dough, like wrapping a present, using the parchment to help roll it up and over, and seal gently using your fingertips.
You should have a slightly flat, long enclosed dough tube of fig filling.
Chill again briefly, for about 5 minutes.
Flip filled dough over to hide the seam on the bottom.
Using a very clean, sharp, flat blade, cut into 2-inch sections, so that you end up with shapes that look like a popular store-bought variety of fig cookies.
Place 2 inches apart onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until slightly golden brown on edges.
Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.
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Ingredients
1½ tablespoons flaxseed meal
3 tablespoons water
⅔ cup cold non dairy margarine
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⅔ cups brown rice flour
⅔ cup potato starch
⅓ cup tapioca flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2½ teaspoons baking powder
⅓ cup non dairy milk
Additional brown rice flour for rolling
FILLING
2¼ cups dried mission figs, tops removed
¼ cup raisins
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 small apple, diced
½ cup pecans
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
