It’s worth taking the time to make homemade fig bars, which will blow your Fig Newtons, or any variation of store-bought fig bars, out of the water!
From the moment I sunk my teeth into one of Metropolitan Bakery’s fig bars, I knew Philadelphia would treat me tenderly. Oh, how I miss my city of sweet brotherly love and farm-to-city integrity! When I drove out of Philly, after college and a subsequent year working with Fair Food Philly to build a farm-to-university toolkit, my Metropolitan Bakery cookbook took the passenger seat – last item to be packed and first one on the (new) kitchen shelf.
In nearly every city I’ve lived since Philly, I’ve tried to recreate these gorgeous treats. My first attempt was at Mamma’s house in Norwalk, CT: delicious but messy. The altitude thwarted my attempts in Quito, Ecuador. In Matagalpa, Nicaragua it was impossible to find all the right ingredients, and no degree of creativity resulted in anything close to these fabulous morsels. And here I am now, in Ithaca, NY, closer to perfection but still far from it. I’m convinced the secret lies somewhere between the talented artisans who created this recipe and something in the Philly water.
Ingredients Instructions Notes Allergens: dairy, eggs