Sharing is caring!

Craving something sweet but tired of the same old options? These Fig Preserve Shortbread Bars are a twist on a classic treat that will satisfy your sugar craving.

This post is sponsored in conjunction with #SpringSweetsWeek. I received product samples from sponsor companies to help in the creation of the week’s recipes. All opinions are mine.

 

The only figs I’ve eaten are dried or in those cookies.  You know which ones I’m talking about, right?  So, when I got my hands on some fresh figs for Spring Sweets Week, I was thrilled!  I had such great plans of making something delicious with the fresh figs.  But I was sort of underwhelmed by the fig flavor in the cookies I made with them.  Don’t get me wrong they had great texture, but I couldn’t taste the figs.  And I wanted to taste the figs! 

 

Then I thought how much I love fig preserves!  So, I decided to make some fresh fig preserves with them.  But then what to make with the preserves?  Fig jam shortbread bars!  It would highlight the delicious, fresh fig preserves and be a tasty cookie bar with a buttery shortbread crust. 

 

 

What are figs?

 

Figs are the fruit of a particular type of Ficus tree.  Ficus carica to be exact.  The “fruit” is a syconium or a type of multiple fruit.  Meaning they’re a fruit that forms around a cluster of inverted flowers similar to a pineapple.  And they’ve been around a long time.  It’s one of the first plants humans cultivated.  Researchers found fig fossils dating back to 9400 BC!  That’s a really long time ago.

 

Figs have a unique sweet honey-like flavor with a soft texture.  Some say they taste like strawberries or cherries and some say they taste like brown sugar or melons.  Because of their soft flesh most figs do not transport well.  That’s why most are processed into dried figs or fig preserves.  Or turned into cookies like those famous ones I talked about earlier.

 

 

How do you make fresh fig preserves?

 

I made a very simple fig preserve for these shortbread bars.  I took four pints of fresh figs and coarsely chopped them.  They went into a small saucepan with 1 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, and 2 tablespoons of Meyer lemon juice.

 

I simmered the fig mixture for about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the figs are soft.  I smoothed the mixture out with my immersion blender.  You could use your blender if you don’t have an immersion blender.  Just make sure there’s a few chunks of figs for aesthetics.  It cooled in the pan before I put it in the fridge to chill until I was ready to make the fig preserve bars.

 

 

Ingredients in homemade fig preserve shortbread bars:

 

For the homemade fig preserve shortbread bars, you’ll need a few key ingredients to create a perfect balance of flavors and textures:

Butter – use cold butter to keep the shortbread crispy and layered with buttery goodness.

Sugar – I used a combination of granulated and brown sugar.  The brown sugar makes the base a little crispier when they first come out of the oven, but they soften up as the cookies cool and rest overnight.

Salt – you should always add salt to your sweets to have a nice balance of flavors.

Vanilla bean paste – this gives makes the shortbread base have a hint of vanilla that ties into the vanilla in the fig preserves.

Flour – I used all-purpose unbleached flour.

Cold cream – 2 to 3 tablespoons of whipping cream is just enough to bring the dough together and make it easier to press into the bottom of the pan.

Fig preserves – if you don’t have fresh figs to make your own then use a quality store bought brand.

 

 

How do you make fig shortbread bars?

 

To make fig shortbread bars, start by preheating your oven to 350 F.  Then put your butter, sugars, salt, and flour in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until the butter and flour forms a coarse meal.  Add in the extract and the cream 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture either forms a ball or you can ball it up in your hand.

 

Press two thirds of the shortbread mixture into the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 3 baking pan.  I have a broiling/roasting pan that came with a rack that I used, but if you have something similar in size, then use it.  After pressing the shortbread crust into the pan, bake it for about 10 minutes for a crispier bottom.

 

 

There’s no need to cool the crust before putting the fig preserves on top.  Spread them out evenly and then sprinkle the remaining shortbread mixture on top.  Then place everything back into the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the fig preserves are bubble and the crumb topping is lightly browned. 

 

Allow the fig shortbread bars to cool before cutting them into squares or bars for serving. The combination of buttery shortbread, sweet fig preserves, and a hint of vanilla creates a decadent treat that is sure to impress your guests.  With homemade fig preserve shortbread bars, you’ll have a crowd-pleasing dessert that is both simple to make and incredibly delicious. 

 

 

What do Homemade Fig Preserve Shortbread Bars taste like? 

 

That depends on when you eat them.  If you eat them the same day, the shortbread crust is crispy and flaky just like shortbread should be.  The figs preserves are sweet and have a hint of fig flavor.  However, if you refrigerate them and let them sit overnight the shortbread crust is soft and tender.  The fig preserves have more flavor.  And the whole bar tastes like those famous cookies. 

 

For me, it’s hard to decide which I like best.  I really liked the crispy shortbread crust on the first day, but I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of the figs that come out after sitting in the fridge overnight.  To be honest, I enjoyed them both equally.  

 

 

So, I have this friend who has recently planted a fig tree.  I am hoping that she will have a lovely harvest and have extra figs to share with me.  Because I know I want to make these bars over and over again.  They were not difficult to make and tasted scrumptious whether you noshed on them straight out of the oven or waited for the crust to soften. 

 

Push comes to shove, I can just look for some fresh figs at the grocery store.  Hopefully, I can find some.  I haven’t had much luck thus far, but I haven’t tried all the 20+ stores I have in the area.  Oh, and you can swap out the fig for your favorite preserves.  Maybe add a sprinkling of toasted almonds or pecans on top for extra crunch and flavor, too.

Wednesday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

• Air Fryer Blueberry Crisp from Shockingly Delicious
• Cardamom Lemon Mousse from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Chocolate Easter Eggs with Matcha, Beet or Lemon Filling from Our Good Life
• Dragon Fruit and Citrus Overnight Oats from Cheesecurd In Paradise
• Drangonfruit Kheer from Magical Ingredients
• Fig Preserve Shortbread Bars from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Green Tea Matcha Cookies from The Spiffy Cookie
• Homemade Fig Bars from Blogghetti
• Instant Pot Vanilla Cardamom Cheesecake with Dragon fruit Jam from Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
• Lavender Cardamom Biscotti from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Lemon Cream and Candied Ginger Crepes Cake from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Lemon Ginger Ice Cream from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Lemon Pound Cake with Lavender Glaze from That Recipe
• Lemonade Cookies from In Our Spare Time
• Raspberry Coffee Dessert Crepes from For the Love of Food
• Waffle Bar from Art of Natural Living

We share recipes from #SpringSweetsWeek on Pinterest! Make sure you follow the board to see all the delicious recipes shared this week.

The prize information can be see in my Blood Orange Crepe Suzette post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer:

Thank you #SpringSweetsWeek Sponsors: Selefina Spices, Melissa’s Produce, and Taylor and Colledge for providing the prizes free of charge. These companies also provided the bloggers with samples and product to use for #SpringSweetsWeek recipes. All opinions are my own.

Rules:

The giveaway is open to residents of the United States who are 18 years of age or older. All entries for the winner will be checked and verified. By entering you give the right to use your name and likeness. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Three (3) winners will be selected. The prize packages will be sent directly from the giveaway sponsors. The #SpringSweetsWeek Bloggers are not responsible for the fulfillment or delivery of the prize packages. Bloggers hosting this giveaway and their immediate family members in their household cannot enter or win the giveaway. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X or any other social channel mentioned in the #SpringSweetsWeek posts or entry.