Why You Can't Ignore The Cakey Texture When Making Copycat Fig Newtons

Jam cookies, Newtons, fruit and cake — whichever name these little fig snacks go by in your head, they're always synonymous with soft, tangy goodness. The original Fig Newtons recipe is over a century old and they've been the perfect lunchtime treat ever since. You might enjoy eating a whole sleeve of them by yourself, or maybe you prefer them as a healthier alternative to other highly processed snacks out there. But just like other sugary foods, there are always additives found in store-bought snacks that are there to amp up the taste.

If you're watching your sugar intake, and especially if you like Newtons more than the average snack lover, you might want to consider following a copycat recipe as an alternative. One great perk about taking this DIY route is that you can cut out the excess sugar in favor of a more natural taste. When following the recipe, it might be a challenge to replicate the soft, airy texture of the cake that surrounds the fruity center. The trick is all in how you make the batter.

To get the classic yellowish texture and pleasantly tart flavors in your own homemade Fig Newtons just right, the secret is found in a process called creaming. Rather than stirring your batter until it's fully blended, the mixture should be folded onto itself to form air pockets via mechanical leavening (via Serious Eats). You'll want to grab cinnamon, honey, orange zest, eggs, orange juice, sugar, and butter from the pantry to create your Fig Newton batter. After adding the flour, you should only need to refrigerate your dough for around an hour until firm.

As for the gooey fig center, you can opt for buying flavorful fig preserves from places like Trader Joe's, or you can dedicate yourself fully to the cause and freshly prepare your own figs from scratch. Christina of Dessert For Two advises to use dried Turkish or Calimyrna figs in her recipe, simmering them with apple juice and salt for around 30 minutes before pureeing them into a jam. Once your fig bars emerge from the oven after baking, the crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture of the cake against the tasty fig flavors is sure to send your taste buds into overdrive. Even if you're not that into figs, Nabisco has a variety of fruit flavors that work well in its Newtons that you can experiment with at home, too.