Confections with fruits and nuts for a sweet Tu b’Shevat

One of my favorite foods that I remember eating during this holiday is baked apples filled with nuts, cinnamon, raisins, brown sugar and honey. It was almost always served after a family lunch that included several salads and a vegetable soup.

The perfect dessert to make for Tu b’Shevat — which falls on Feb. 4 this year — is Homemade Fig Bars. This recipe is so authentic, the bars look just like the ones in the Fig Newtons package at your local grocery store, only better. They feature homemade fig preserves inside a buttery, orange-scented cookie. Once the filling has been prepared, the Fig Bars are not time-consuming to make.

I love making Old-Fashioned Jam Cookies using a classic recipe from my 1988 cookbook “The Gourmet Jewish Cook” (William Morrow). These thumbprint cookies have been part of the family since our kids were young. I always make the dough in advance — just knead and cover with plastic wrap. When ready to serve, roll them out, dip in chopped nuts, press a hole in the center and bake. Just before serving, spoon dollops of fruit jam in the center.

Another pastry to serve for Tu b’Shevat is apple pie. I used to love the compliments I received, especially from my dad. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a special treat.

HOMEMADE FIG BARS

• 4 cups dried figs, stems removed
• 4 tablespoons corn syrup 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 pound unsalted margarine
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with greased aluminum foil or a Silpat baking mat; set aside.

Place figs in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over them to cover; let stand 10 minutes. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons water; stir in corn syrup and cinnamon.

Puree figs in food processor until a thick paste forms (if too thick or thin to spread evenly, add a little water or flour).

In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and orange juice; mix well. Add flour mixture; beat until dough forms.

Transfer dough onto a floured surface or wax paper and knead into a round, flat disc. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Take chilled dough from refrigerator and divide into 4 equal portions. On floured wax paper, roll out one portion 4 inches wide, 12 inches long and about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.

Spread a quarter of fig mixture lengthwise along center of the strip of dough. Gently fold one side over, covering half the fig mixture; fold the second side over the first, so that you are left with a long, 2-inch-wide tube of dough enclosing the fig filling. Using the wax paper as a guide, flip the filled tube onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 portions of dough until all 4 dough strips have been filled, folded and transferred to the baking sheet.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into 2-inch cookie-size segments and cool. 

Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

OLD-FASHIONED JAM COOKIES

• 1/2 pound unsalted butter or margarine
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
• Assorted preserves: strawberry, red raspberry, apricot

Preheat oven to 350  F.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla; blend until smooth. Add flour and salt; blend until smooth. (At this point, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator or freezer.)

Pull off small pieces of dough, shaping each into a 3/4-inch ball; dip each ball in egg whites and roll in chopped nuts. Place dough balls on foil-lined, greased baking sheets. Using your finger or a thimble, gently press an indentation in center of each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully press down each indentation again and continue baking 5 minutes longer or until golden brown. Cool on racks. Fill center of each cookie with a dollop of jam.

Makes about 4 dozen.

THE BEST APPLE PIE

• Sweet Pie Crust (recipe follows)
• 8 large Granny Smith or pippin apples (about 4 pounds)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 5 tablespoons unsalted margarine
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water

Prepare Sweet Pie Crust; set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Peel, core and cut apples into thin slices, about 1/4 inch thick. In a large bowl, toss apple slices with lemon juice.

In a large, heavy saucepan, combine margarine, both sugars, cinnamon and sliced apples. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until apples are tender and liquid thickens, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water, mixing to dissolve. Add to apple mixture; simmer until syrup is translucent, about 2 minutes. Cool.

Spoon filling into bottom pie crust, mounding apples slightly in center. Lightly moisten edge of bottom crust with water; cover with top crust. Press crusts together to seal; crimp edges using fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make a few slits in the center of the top to allow ventilation. Place on baking sheet. 

Bake until crust is golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

SWEET PIE CRUST

• 2 cups unbleached flour, plus additional for board
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 pound plus 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/2 cup ground almonds

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt and butter. Blend until mixture is crumbly. Blend in water just until dough begins to come together; do not over-mix. Transfer dough to a floured board and knead into a ball. Divide into 2 flat discs. Wrap 1 disc in plastic wrap; chill.

Roll out remaining disc on a large sheet of floured wax paper to a round large enough to cover and overlap a 9-inch pie pan. For easier handling, cover the pastry with another sheet of waxed paper and fold pastry in half (the wax paper protects the center of the pastry from sticking together). Lift the pastry from the bottom sheet of wax paper and place on half of the pie pan. Unfold pastry and remove wax paper covering it, then sprinkle with the almonds. Roll out the remaining dough disc for top crust. 

Makes a 9-inch double-crust pie.