Espresso Fig Bars

Ahhhhhh, September. I have to say, I have some mixed feelings about September. It’s always hard to get back into the swing of things, getting up early, going to school, doing homework, going to dance classes. It can be a little overwhelming. But on the other hand, fall is so close! The first official day of fall is September 23rd and the best month of the year is next.

Regardless of how I feel about September, there is one thing I know for certain about the month. It means coffee. I love love love coffee, I drink it in some form almost every day and I add it to a lot of my baked goods. The taste, the smell, it’s just perfect. And I have always associated September with coffee for some reason. So today we have a nice bar recipe with coffee and fig.

Describe These Bars to Me:

Taste: These are three layer bars, with a few different flavors. The first layer is a buttery coffee shortbread. It’s a little salty, but sweetened with gooey brown sugar, and flavored with vanilla and espresso powder. Next is the fig filling. This is very straightforward, made with only dried figs, water, and a little vanilla bean paste. It’s sweet but also provides a little tartness to break through the buttery flavor of the other two layers. To top these off we have a nice oat crumble, also flavored with some espresso powder. Again, this is buttery and has a little saltiness, but the oats add a nice warming element. It all works really well together and you end up with pretty much a really fancy fig newton.
Texture: Three layers means three different textures for me. The bottom layer is buttery and soft, and melts in your mouth. The filling is sticky and a little jammy, which adds some moisture. Lastly we have an oat crumble which is similar to the shortbread crust, but a little more crumbly and toasted from the oats.
Ease: Though these do have three layers, they are all pretty simple. The shortbread is one bowl, no mixer, and should only take about 10 minutes to make the dough. Then you have to bake them for about 20 minutes. While that’s baking, make the fig filling. All you have to do for this part is cook the dried figs with a little water to re-hydrate them. Then blend those up in a food processor with some vanilla. The last component is the crumble, where all you have to do is toss together some oats, flour, and espresso powder, and then add a little butter. Spread the fig filling over the shortbread and sprinkle over that crumble. Bake ’em up and you’re all done.

The Shortbread Layer

I love making shortbread. It sounds fancy, it tastes fancy, but the secret is it isn’t actually fancy. It’s only 6 ingredients, one bowl, no mixer, and should only take about 10 minutes to make the dough. Start off by melting a bunch of butter. I use a mix of salted and unsalted butter because I think it provides the best flavor. Whisk brown sugar, granulated sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt into that. it’s unusual for shortbread to have brown sugar, but I think it adds moisture and flavor. Then fold in some flour and you’re done. Spread that into a pan and bake it up. It’s buttery, a little salty, and flavored with warming coffee. It’s honestly one of the best things ever.

The Fig Layer

You probably won’t believe me when I tell you this, but this fig filling is only THREE INGREDIENTS. That’s right people. Start off by cooking your dried figs with some water. Cook that until the figs have soaked up some of the water and the mixture is nice and sauce-like. Let it cool down for a few minutes and then add it to a food processor with some vanilla. It will grind down into a nice paste, which we can spread on top of that shortbread. It’s sweet from the figs but also has loads of natural flavor.

The Crumble Topping

I love a good crumble. From muffins, to coffee cakes, to quick breads, it’s an easy way to instantly upgrade your desserts. This one uses oats for a nice toasty flavor, flour for structure, brown sugar to sweeten it up, and espresso powder and salt for flavor. It all comes together when you add in some nice softened butter. Sprinkle that all over your fig filling and bake it up. You are left with a toasty, crunchy, and buttery crumble to finish off some pretty great bars.

Espresso Fig Bars

Sort of like a fig newton, but so much better! These magnificent bars are composed from 3 different layers: a buttery coffee shortbread base, a jammy 3 ingredient fig filling, and a toasty espresso oat crumble. These make for a great dessert or snack on these long September days with that great cozy coffee flavor. These are perfectly balanced in flavor and texture, and not overly complicated!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 9 -12 bars

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Espresso shortbread

• 1 stick unsalted butter sliced roughly into Tablespoon sized pieces
• ½ stick salted butter sliced roughly into Tablespoon sized pieces
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons espresso powder
• a pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

Fig Filling

• 1 ½ cups dried figs quartered
• ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Crumble Topping

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• a pinch of salt
• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened (a little softer then room temperature)

Method

 

Start by making the espresso shortbread

1. Preheat the oven to 325℉. Grease and line a 7 x 11 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Make sure to leave an overhang of parchment so you can easily lift the bars out later. Set aside.
2. Place the unsalted and salted butter in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each until fully melted. Let cool down a little, for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, espresso powder, salt, and vanilla, and whisk to combine. Try to get rid of any lumps of espresso powder. Add the flour and use a spatula to fold it together. Dough should be thick, and a little greasy looking.
4. Dump the dough into the previously prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 20-22 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and use a fork to lightly poke holes all over the top. Let cool down for 15-20 minutes while we make the other layers.
5. Increase the oven temperature to 350℉

Make the fig filling (I usually start this while the crust is baking)

1. Stir together the figs and water in a medium saucepan. Cook for 5-8 minutes over medium heat until the figs have absorbed almost all of the water. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the slightly cooled fig mixture to a food processor along with the vanilla bean paste. Pulse until figs are completely broken down into a spread. If the figs aren't blending, add a tiny bit of water. The fig mixture will be thick and pasty. Set aside while we make the crumble topping.

Make the topping

1. In a medium bowl, toss together the oats, flour, brown sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Add the softened butter and use your hands to massage it into the oats until a crumbly mixture forms.
2. Spread the fig filling evenly over the slightly cooled shortbread. Sprinkle the crumble evenly on top of that. Bake at 350℉ for 25-30 minutes. The topping should be browned, and the filling should feel set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pan before using the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan. Cut into whatever size you want and enjoy!
3. Bars stay fresh sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Notes

Figs: Make sure you are using DRIED figs, not fresh. 

Espresso: If coffee isn’t your thing, you can omit it.