While many schools & colleges have already started their new terms over the past few weeks, there are some (our local schools among them) that start back today, right after Labor Day. Back-to-school involves a lot of prep work. There are new school supplies to buy along with new clothes, and new routines to be worked out. There are new experiences to look forward to for students, parents & teachers alike once school is in session. As a student, I usually liked getting back into a routine & structure of school along with the chance to learn new things & see my friends more regularly than I had over the summer, even if I was a bit sad about summer having ended. I also enjoyed getting back into the sports & activities associated with school after the summer break.

Part of my school routine was going home for lunch. Literally. We lived across the street from my elementary school and students were allowed to go home to eat lunch. I would quickly eat a peanut butter (no jelly!) sandwich and race back across the street in time to buy ice cream in the lunchroom before the lunch period ended & recess began. While going home for lunch may be a thing of the past, plenty of us still bring our own lunches and snacks from home to eat at school or work. Here’s a gluten-free take on that perennial favorite, the fig newtwon bar, perfect for a packable lunch or an afternoon snack!

Fig Newtons (adapted from minimalistbaker.com)  Prep time: 30 minutes, Cook time: 10 minutes, Makes about 24 bars

Ingredients

for the dough:

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1 cup  raw almonds
• 1 cup raw pecans
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups (9 ounces) firmly packed pitted dates (~23-26 pitted dates)

for the filling:

• 8 ounces dried figs, stems removed
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch sea salt
• 3 ounces (~8-10) pitted dates

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and arrange the oats and nuts on a baking sheet. Bake them for 8-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until everything is golden brown and fragrant. Remove them from the oven and set them aside until they are slightly cooled.

While the oats & nuts are toasting & cooling, add the pitted dates to the food processor and pulse them until small bits remain and they form a ball. Scoop out the dates and set them aside.

Add the nuts and oats to the food processor (once they are cooled) and process them into a fine meal. Add the dates back in and pulse the mixture until a loose dough forma when it is squeezed.

Spread the dough onto a clean parchment-lined surface and flatten the dough down with your hands. Top the dough with another piece of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to flatten it into a 1/4-inch thick sheet. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and shape the dough into a  9 x 13 rectangle. Halve the dough lengthwise with a knife into two equal strips.

Remove the stems from the figs and add the figs to a medium mixing bowl. Cover them with hot (not boiling) water. Soak them for 3 minutes, then drain the water from the figs.

Add the figs to the food processor and blend them into a ball. Add the orange juice, ground cinnamon, and salt to the figs and combine well. If the paste that forms is too thick to spread, add more orange juice, a teaspoon at a time until the paste is thick but spreadable. Add the dates to the processor and blend them into the paste.

Spread the fig paste in a 1-inch thick line down the center of the two date-nut dough strips. Use the parchment paper to gently roll the edges of the dough over the fig filling until the two dough ends meet. Continue to use the parchment paper to roll & tighten the dough over the filling to form a seam. Seal the ends of the fig logs, too. Cut both of the cookie logs in half, then transfer the logs on the parchment paper to a baking sheet.

Freeze the logs for at least 30 minutes to firm them up. Use a sharp knife to slice the logs into 1-inch pieces. Enjoy them immediately or store the fig newtons in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Fig newtons are a favorite with Eric’s family!  ~Linda

Fig Newtons (adapted from minimalistbaker.com)  Prep time: 30 minutes, Cook time: 10 minutes, Makes about 24 bars

Ingredients

for the dough:

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1 cup  raw almonds
• 1 cup raw pecans
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups (9 ounces) firmly packed pitted dates (~23-26 pitted dates)

for the filling:

• 8 ounces dried figs, stems removed
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch sea salt
• 3 ounces (~8-10) pitted dates

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF and arrange the oats and nuts on a baking sheet. Bake them for 8-12 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until everything is golden brown and fragrant. Remove them from the oven and set them aside until they are slightly cooled.

While the oats & nuts are toasting & cooling, add the pitted dates to the food processor and pulse them until small bits remain and they form a ball. Scoop out the dates and set them aside.

Add the nuts and oats to the food processor (once they are cooled) and process them into a fine meal. Add the dates back into the processor and pulse the mixture until a loose dough is formed when it is squeezed.

Spread the dough onto a clean parchment-lined surface and flatten the dough down with your hands. Top the dough with another piece of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to flatten it into a 1/4-inch thick sheet. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper and shape the dough into a  9 x 13 rectangle. Halve the dough lengthwise with a knife into two equal strips.

Remove the stems from the figs and add the figs to a medium mixing bowl. Cover them with hot (not boiling) water. Soak them for 3 minutes, then drain the water from the figs.

Add the figs to the food processor and blend into a ball. Add the orange juice, ground cinnamon, and salt and combine well. If the paste that forms is too thick to spread, add more orange juice, a teaspoon at a time until the paste is thick but spreadable. Add the dates to the processor and blend them into the paste.

Spread the fig paste in a 1-inch thick line down the center of the two date-nut strips. Use the parchment paper to gently roll the edges of the dough over the fig filling until the two dough ends meet. Continue to use the parchment paper to roll & tighten the dough over the filling to form a seam. Seal the ends of the fig logs, too. Cut both of the cookie logs in half, then transfer the logs on the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Freeze them for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Use a sharp knife to slice the logs into 1-inch pieces. Enjoy them immediately or store the fig newtons in the refrigerator in a well-sealed container for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.