National Fig Newton Day

If you loved shaped cookies that were popular in your childhood, your adult palate will appreciate these DIY Fig Newtons. Made using mild MSG enriched with whole wheat flour and filled with delicious figs, this is a healthy choice in the cookie/treat world. Enjoy a stack with a cold milkshake! January 16th is celebrated every year in remembrance of these cookies, also known as National Fig Newton Day.

National Fig Newton history

The iconic Newton figure is one of the earliest commercial baked goods in America, and is the accidental result of the union between a Philadelphia cookie maker, a Florida inventor, and the large consolidation of more than 100 bakeries in New York and Chicago.

At the same time, and arguably thanks to Figure Newton, the legendary Nabisco baking company had its roots. The bakery in Chicago is today the largest bakery in the world, with more than 1,200 workers and producing 320 pounds of snacks annually.

Until the late 19th century, many doctors believed that most diseases were related to digestive problems. So the advice for you is to eat cookies and fruit every day. Charles Roser invented a machine in 1891 that inserted the filling into the thick dough. The F. A Kennedy Steam Bakery in 1891 baked the first Fig Newton.

The fig recipe is the brainchild of Charles M. Roser, an Ohio-born cookie maker. Roser worked for a bakery in Philadelphia, who sold his recipe to the Kennedy Cookie Company. Although it is rumored that the cookie is named after pioneering physicist Isaac Newton, in fact, Kennedy Biscuit named the cookie Newton after the town in Massachusetts. The custom of naming cookies after local towns was favored by the company in Boston, and when Newton was created, the cookies were given names like Beacon Hill, Harvard and Shrewbury.

Perhaps Roser based the recipe on his bread rolls, which were then still a local cookie brought to America by British immigrants. The cookie is made up of a crumbly pastry with a scoop of gummy jam in the middle. Nabisco's recipes are (obviously) a secret, but modern copies recommend starting with dried figs, adding apple sauce and orange juice, and some orange zest as you process the fruit. tree. More exotic recipes add Medjool dates, currants and crystallized ginger and perhaps some ground almonds.

The manufacture of Fig Newtons was made possible thanks to the creation of Florida inventor James Henry Mitchell, who revolutionized the packaged biscuit business by building a movement that could produce a layer The cookie shell is empty and filled with fruit. His machine acts like a funnel within a funnel; the inner hopper supplies the jam, while the outer hopper pumps the dough. This creates an endless length of filled cookie, which can then be cut into many smaller pieces.

Mitchell also developed a dough-roller another that made sugar sponges, and other machines to speed up cake production: all manufactured by Nabisco's predecessor.

Nabisco began replacing fig jam in its cookies with raspberry, strawberry and blueberry, as well as apple cinnamon flavors in the 1980s. In 2012, they again dropped the word "Fig" from the name because they wanted to change the core of the brand to fruit as Kraft expert Gary Osifchin told The New York Times.

How to hold the National Fig Newton Day

On the National Fig Newton Day, you and your friends can have a date at any restaurant or cookie shop to observe Fig Newton cookies and eat them. Or you can also make your own Fig Newton cookies using the following recipe.

Preparation materials:

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1¼ sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

8 tablespoons spread (for filling)

Steps to take:

Step 1: Put the two flours, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, then mix well

Step 2: Add the buttercream and brown sugar and mix for about 3 minutes on medium speed.

Step 3: Pause the mixer and add the eggs and vanilla. Then turn on the mixer again to combine. The mixture may shrink slightly. Don't worry about it; all will be out in the next step.

Step 4: Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until fully combined (scrape the edges of the bowl with a rubber spatula if needed). It will be a soft, malleable dough.

Step 5: Pour the batter into a large bowl, and wrap it in plastic wrap (like you would a dough cake). Place the mixture in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Step 6: Remove the dough out of the refrigerator and divide them into equal portions. Place partially on oven surface, set oven temperature to 325 F.

Step 7: Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle, about 4" by 12" (if the dough is too stiff, just let it sit for a minute or two before continuing). Use the scraper to straighten the edges and use your fingers to press the dough into place.

Step 8: Add about 2 tablespoons of your figs spread over the top of the dough. Use a spatula or slightly wet fingers to flatten it into a 1" strip down the center of the dough.

Fold one side of the dough over the fill, and then the second. Use slightly damp fingers to press the "seam" together. Use the bench or knife to cut the long dough into about 2 segments.

Step 9: Bake the cake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the bottoms are browned. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. These cookies are especially pleasant to enjoy while still slightly warm, but they will also store well in an airtight container.

With the above recipe, try the Fig Newton cake experience. After you have your cakes, share it with everyone around. Don't hesitate to take pictures and post them on social media with the hashtag #NationalFigNewtonDay. Wishing you a happy Fig Newton holiday!