(((Hangs head in shame))) I can’t remember the last time I participated in Sugar High Friday(I fear it was all the way back when I made mini homemade Pop Tarts). But when I saw that my friend and fellow hockey lover Ivonne over at Cream Puffs in Venice was hosting, I had to step up and find the time to participate. She chose figs. I envisioned some glorious tart over flowing with fresh figs…that was until I went in search of them. No fresh figs at my Farmers Market or my go to produce store. Boo. Okay, plan B. Dried figs. Again, nothing at the Farmers Market and when I asked a worker at my go to store where were the dried figs…he said they didn’t carry them. I went to several grocery stores with no avail. I started to panic and had small nightmare flashes of me having to buy Fig Newtons and scrape out the filling and do something with that. Luckily, my brain got to thinking…maybe my go to store has them and the person I asked just didn’t know. That was pretty much the case. For there in the bulk section were dried figs galore. Grrrr. So I scooped them up, found the clerk I had asked the week before and promptly showed him what dried figs were and where they are in the store. “Oh” was all I got.
So my mission of getting figs was finally accomplished, but what to do with them? I found a website for the Valley Fig Growers that had a lovely selection of what to do with dried figs. I settled on these bars because they possessed all things I liked…. plus they looked easy to make and I needed that as I of course had it stuck in my head that SHF was the 28th, which of course it is, but your submissions are due on the 24th!
Needless to say, I made the deadline and you can too….if you hurry.
Chocolate-Fig Pecan Bars
Makes 32 bars
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar, divided
10 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (8-ounce) Blue Ribbon Orchard Choice or Sun-Maid Mission or Calimyrna Figs, chopped
3/4 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
3 large eggs
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, stir together flour and 1/4 cup sugar. Add butter, cut into small pieces. With pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Mixture will be dry.) Press crust in bottom of lightly greased 13-x-9-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Sprinkle figs, pecans and chocolate morsels over crust. Lightly beat eggs, gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, corn syrup and vanilla until well blended. Pour over crust. Return to oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until filling is firm around edges and slightly soft at center. Cool on wire rack. Cut into bars.
Source: Valley Fig Growers
Lisa says
I’ve met way too many of those kinds of employees at my local mega mart.. they frost my arse.
I’m glad you found the figs, because these bars look mighty delish!
xoxo
Nabeela says
I love any dessert in bar form :)…and especially any with dried figs on it!
Anh says
I just adore how you have incorporated the theme ingredient here. So lovely and innovative!
Ivonne says
Well I’m honoured that you would go to such lengths just for little ol’ me! I’m surprised at how many people have never seen or tried a fig, fresh or dried.
I love the combination of figs and chocolate and of course your pics are gorgeous!
Thanks for taking part in SHF #35!
Anita says
What a quest you endured for figs! I think it was worth it – your bars look scrumptious!
Jann says
I would love to taste some of this~it is a mouth watering combination!
veron says
I haven’t participated in SHF for quite a while now but like you since the creampuff was hosting I cannot not make anything. Glad you did not have to use fig newtons :D! Those fig bars look absolutely divine!
VeggieGirl says
oooh, your entry for SHF looks divine!! I too used dried figs for my SHF entry – love them :0)
Belinda says
Oh, these bars look wonderful, all fancied up with the dried figs…what a great idea! I wanted to participate in this SHF too, but like you, found nothing by way of figs. Ironically enough, I was in a gourmet foods/gift shop this weekend, of all places, and found some fancy shmancy jars of fig preserves, a day late and a dollar short for SHF though!
Mallow says
I’ve been looking too, with no luck (I also had my heart set on fresh figs). But what you did with dried ones looks fabulous!
T.W. Barritt says
Amazing!! That beats a Fig Newton any day!
Deborah says
I couldn’t find any figs…:( These look wonderful, though!!
Mary says
I’m glad you found the dried figs despite the ineptitude of the clerk. Figs and chocolate are a heavenly combo!
Polly says
I am insanely jealous that: 1. your fig dessert looks way prettier than mine, but mainly 2. that you came up with “Gettin’ Figgy With It…” and I didn’t! How early-90’s-psuedo-rap of you! lol I love it!!
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande says
Oh my, this looks really good!
C'tina says
How do you people do it!? H o w do you make all these wonderful foods, baked goods in particular….and not eat W A Y too much!? I have NO WILLPOWER… when I bake..I eat the batter…I eat it straight out of the oven, I eat every last morsel….your pictures are decadent, the quince cake the shf tart…all of it…and I just couldn’t do it….but W O W…it’s all so beautiful!! So do you send most of it to work, or off with your husband…?
Ally says
They look wonderful!
Tartelette says
Great choice! These would be great to take on a hike or picnic. Love it!
April says
Oh my goodness!! I have never had fresh figs and can’t get them where I am at. These look delicious!
Amy says
I am sooo making these. 😀 As soon as I find some dried figs too. I found some at Ranch 99 but they looked quite old.
Rose says
Ohh yum!! Those look so good!
Pixie says
These are awesome! I made them 3 years ago and gave them to my daughter’s teacher at Xmas…VERY popular! I’ve had many requests since.