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    Home » Baking and Desserts

    Fig Cocktail Cookies: Surprise Your Holiday Guests with this Savory Shortbread Treat

    by Beth Lee · Published: Nov 3, 2014 · Modified: Nov 20, 2023

    5.7K shares
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    fig cocktail cookies on white plate for pinterest

    This post is brought to you thanks to Sun-Maid/Valley Fig Growers and KitchenPLAY as part of Team Fresh Summit.

    Another great recipe are my orange thyme cocktail cookies or cranberry orange shortbread cookies.

    For ease of browsing, here are all of my appetizer recipes in one place.

    Fig Cocktail Cookies on a square white plate with a fig garnish.

    People ask me all the time – how do you make money from blogging? It’s never an easy question to answer because there is no one method that works for everyone and some of us just write food blogs for the pure love of it. But with this post, I have an opportunity to show you one way that I can be compensated for my work and provide value to my readers and the brand I’m representing. And how did this partnership come about? Through Casey Benedict of KitchenPLAY who matches brands and bloggers to achieve effective marketing results.

    One of the many benefits of my recent experience attending the PMA Fresh Summit Conference and Expo was the chance to support the fruit and vegetable industry and work directly with some of the brands. I was so happy to be asked to be a brand ambassador for Sun-Maid/Valley Fig Growers. The little Sun-Maid red boxes of raisins are a happy memory from my childhood and as a proponent of eating real food, I love that the ingredients are just sunshine and grapes.

    Packages of dried fruits.

    As for figs – well you’ve heard me singing the praises of fresh figs on this blog and now we can discuss what to do with their dried counterpart. Like the dates I’ve been crowing about recently, dried figs pack a punch of sweetness along with many nutritional benefits. Did you know that figs are an excellent source of dietary fiber, potassium, iron and calcium, and are rich in healthy antioxidants and complex carbohydrates? AND, they taste great.

    Fig Cocktail Cookies cooling on a rack and stacked on a white platter.

    Luckily, dried figs boast versatility as an attribute as well. They are terrific right out of the package as a snack, but the possibilities for incorporating them into any meal of the day are endless. Be sure to check out Valley Fig's extensive recipe collection on their website. Since holiday season is upon us, my mind wandered to entertaining and my one area of struggle – what to serve as an appetizer?

    A whole orange zested, a sprig of fresh rosemary, a measuring spoon of chopped rosemary and a ⅓ cup of  chopped pecans.

    A couple of years ago I posted about an orange thyme cocktail cookie inspired by Dorie Greenspan. One of Dorie’s original flavor combinations was dried apricot and tarragon. So I started to think about dried figs instead of apricot and then considered what to match with them. My first attempt used sherry-soaked figs with lemon zest and rosemary. Surprisingly, lemon, sherry, and figs go quite nicely together. But the rosemary was a bit overpowering and there were not enough figs. For round 2, at the suggestion of my testers, I used orange zest instead of lemon, less rosemary, added some finely chopped pecans, and increased the figs. Bingo!

    Citrus zest and chopped herbs rubbed into sugar in a grey bowl.

    A little more about the recipe – It uses olive oil and butter for the fat. If you have an orange-infused olive oil that would be ideal but any mild flavored extra-virgin olive oil will do. Dorie Greenspan has a wonderful technique for infusing flavor in the dough by incorporating zests and herbs right into the sugar. It’s easy and ensures the flavors are well incorporated throughout the dough. I used scalloped edge cookie cutters to cut these out – it’s a nice touch but any cookie cutter will do. The recipe will yield more or less cookies depending on the size of your cutter. I experimented with bite size cookies this time – and liked that approach. Have fun with these and try many different sizes.

    Fig Cocktail Cookies cut and laid out on parchment paper ready to bake.

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    Baked Fig Cocktail Cookies in stacks on a white platter.

    For serving – not only will these be a surprising offering with a glass of sherry, wine, or cocktail for holiday guests, but it turns out they work really well with a cup of tea! According to Annelies Zijderveld who is the author of a Spring 2015 cookbook called Steeped: Recipes Infused with Tea, they would work well with a Keemun black tea or a Yunnan – both are brisk black teas, the Yunnan has a bit of smoke to it.

    I also reduced the sherry soaking liquid down to a syrup. Try a dab of that on your crisp. Or create a platter with a mild goat cheese or ricotta, the crisps, the sherry reduction, some more dried figs and roasted pecans. Or step it up another notch and try Valley Fig Growers new line of fig spreads. The orange fig spread would be particularly good with these.

    Fig Cocktail Cookie dough in a disk, cut in half.
    Rolled out Fig Cocktail Cookie dough on parchment paper.

    And finally, since the holidays are hectic, make-ahead anything is always a good strategy. This dough can be made ahead, rolled out between wax or parchment paper, and frozen or refrigerated so all you have to do is cut out and bake the cookies for your big day. If you bake them the day before you plan to eat them, be sure to keep them in an air-tight container until needed.

    A platter of Fig Cocktail Cookies stacked up on a white platter with fig garnish and a whole orange.

    Nov 1 - Nov 7, 2014 is National Fig Week! For even more holiday fig ideas, join Valley Fig and America’s Test Kitchen for a Twitter party on Wednesday, November 5 at 4 PM Eastern. Follow them at @valleyfig and @TestKitchen with the hashtag #DressUpTheBird.

    And be sure to check out my fellow ambassadors' posts about figs:

    Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Dried Figs from Megan on the blog Stetted

    Fig and Chocolate Oat Bars from Cristina on the blog TeenieCakes

    Buy my cookbook now!

    P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!

    Fig Cocktail Cookies

    Fig Cocktail Cookies

    Beth Lee
    A savory and sweet cookie that will complement your afternoon tea or spice up cocktail hour. The dough can be made ahead and the cookies just cut and baked as needed.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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    Prep Time 40 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 55 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Dessert
    Servings 24 servings
    Calories 141 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ⅔ cup finely chopped black mission or golden dried figs I used golden
    • ½ cup dry sherry
    • 1 ½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
    • 1 tablespoon orange zest zest of 1 medium orange
    • ½ cup sugar
    • 1 stick unsalted butter softened
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil – orange-infused if you have it
    • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • ⅓ cup finely chopped toasted pecans will work without them but they are a nice addition
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions
     

    • Place chopped figs and sherry in a microwaveable bowl or measuring cup and microwave for 1 minute. Let them cool and soak up the flavor while you prep everything else.
    • In a small bowl, rub the rosemary and zest into the sugar until the sugar is moist and aromatic.
    • In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the orange rosemary sugar at low speed until creamy. Beat in the egg yolk until just combined, about 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and beat until smooth. Add the salt and flour and nuts and beat until just incorporated.
    • Drain and pat the figs dry and sprinkle just a touch of flour on them, mixing it around. It helps soak up excess liquid and helps them incorporate into the flour. Fold them into the dough by hand.
    • Turn the cookie dough out onto a work surface (I put it right on some parchment paper) and knead until it just comes together. Divide the dough in half and press each half into a disk. Roll out each disk between 2 sheets of wax or parchment paper to about ¼ inch thick. (if you make them thinner – you will need to adjust your cooking time downward accordingly) Slide the parchment paper–covered disks onto a baking sheet and freeze for at least 1 hour, until very firm or refrigerate for several hours or even a day or two.
    • Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one piece of cookie dough at a time, peel off the top sheet of parchment paper. Using a 1 ½-inch round cookie cutter or any size you choose, stamp out the cookies as close together as possible. Arrange the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
    • Bake bite size cookies for about 15 minutes, larger versions closer to 20 -- until they are lightly golden; shifting the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
    • The baked cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

    Notes

    Adapted from a Dorie Greenspan recipe

    Nutrition

    Calories: 141kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 1gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 74mgPotassium: 49mgSugar: 6gVitamin A: 130IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.6mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    Disclaimer: This post is part of my Team Fresh Summit ambassadorship. I received figs for the purposes of review and recipe development and was compensated for this post.

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    Comments

      5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    1. Eli says

      July 24, 2024 at 10:02 am

      Yum! Thanks for this great recipe! Cannot wait to try it. Would Thyme (or any other?) be a good substitute for the Rosemary? I have someone allergic to rosemary in the group i cook for.

      Reply
      • Beth Lee says

        July 25, 2024 at 9:43 am

        Sure - I think thyme would be delicious in this!! I'm a thyme lover and was trying to stretch myself into another herb but I think it will be great!

        Reply
    2. Eliana Bedel says

      August 06, 2022 at 8:03 am

      Wondering if the figs need to be dried of fresh. I have a fig tree and don't know what to do with so many figs.

      Reply
      • Beth Lee says

        August 06, 2022 at 8:24 am

        I have never made the cookie with fresh figs! It could work. Since they are so moist I would skip the soaking part and use them as is. Also, check out my post with just a list of fun ideas for your fresh figs: https://omgyummy.com/dont-forget-the-figs/

        Also, I don't have it posted but I've made fig jam and it's easy and luscious. Or check out onlinepastrychef.com and check out her savory jams - I believe she has one with fresh figs. If not, look at her Facebook feed for a recent post about one she made. It's easy and easily adjustable to what you have on hand! No canning necessary either.

        Reply
      • Eli says

        July 24, 2024 at 10:00 am

        Ive seen recipes online detailing how to dry your own figs from fresh, how to put up fresh figs as jam or preserves. Worth searching.

        Reply
    3. Christine Lemieux says

      January 15, 2022 at 9:29 am

      I wanted to make this for Christmas, but didn't manage to. They look amazing. They are back on my radar now after reading about the Birthday of the Trees. How wonderful is that?!

      Reply
      • Beth Lee says

        January 20, 2022 at 7:50 am

        Oh you'll have so much fun with this type of cookie Christine. Be sure to stop back by and let me know when you have!

        Reply
    4. Rosemary says

      December 22, 2021 at 11:25 pm

      5 stars
      I partially froze the dough then rolled into a square sided log, sliced and baked. Was faster than rolling and cutting out. This was a great recipe to keep in the freezer ready to slice and bake.

      Reply
      • Beth Lee says

        December 23, 2021 at 7:48 am

        Gonna follow your lead my smart and creative friend! Love the square shape.

        Reply
    5. Christine Lemieux says

      December 22, 2021 at 7:42 am

      I am so glad you sent this recipe out today. These sound amazing and are definitely on my list of things to try soon!

      Reply
      • Beth Lee says

        December 22, 2021 at 4:58 pm

        Cocktail cookies are so fun. And you can make the dough ahead, roll out, and freeze flat and ready to go, if needed!

        Reply
    6. Marci says

      November 07, 2014 at 5:05 pm

      These cookies look wonderful. I'm a big fan of Dorie Greenspan. Your photographs are beautiful too.

      Reply
      • Beth Lee says

        November 08, 2014 at 12:29 pm

        Thank you! Nice to meet you through SITS. I'm looking forward to spending more time on your blog - some really creative recipes.

        I run a virtual cooking community called Tasting Jerusalem where we are learning about Middle Eastern cuisine through the lens of the "Jerusalem" cookbook. This month we are starting to look at Ottolenghi's latest book - "Plenty More" - which is all vegetable based. Please stop by sometime - we are on FB, G+, Pinterest at Tasting Jerusalem and on Twitter and Instagram #tastingjrslm. Have a great weekend!

        Reply
    7. Selma | Selma's Table says

      November 07, 2014 at 10:31 am

      Hi Beth! Love the ingredients in this cookie - I bet they would be lovely with cheese too, as a canapé or snack. How fabulous that Dorie Greenspan tweeted you about these - wow!! Im bookmarking this one for the holidays…

      Reply
    8. Adriana says

      November 07, 2014 at 3:49 am

      I love this take on Dorie's recipe! Off to find some figs 🙂

      Reply
      • Beth Lee says

        November 07, 2014 at 7:05 am

        Thanks for stopping by! Dorie made my day the other day by commenting on my tweet about these and saying she loved the combination. I just adore her - was so bummed to miss her while she was here in SF.

        Reply
    9. cristina says

      November 03, 2014 at 7:55 pm

      A gorgeous recipe and love the use of both the butter and olive oil (one of my loves). This is an upscale type or cookie and not only for cocktail time, but for tea time too!

      Reply
      • Beth Lee says

        November 07, 2014 at 7:13 am

        I've been doing quite a bit of baking lately with olive oil and just love it. Even did pancakes one Sunday morning with olive oil. Beginning to wonder, what isn't better with olive oil? 🙂

        Reply
    10. Deb|EastofEdenCooking says

      November 03, 2014 at 12:32 pm

      What a fantastic partnership that has yielded a splendid recipe! A win all the way!

      Reply
      • Beth Lee says

        November 03, 2014 at 12:45 pm

        Thanks Deb! Hoping you and I meet in person soon at a farm near you!

        Reply
    Beth Lee holding red chopsticks and eating rice out of blue bowl.

    Hi, I'm Beth!

    I'm a cookbook author, cooking teacher and preserved lemon lover. My family is a mix of Jewish, Hawaiian and Korean heritage. My virtual multicultural kitchen is always open. Let's cook together! 

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