Sicilian Fig Bars

Ingredients

• Dough:
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 12 pieces
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Filling:
• 1 1/2 pounds dried Calimyrna figs
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup apricot preserves
• 1/4 cup dark rum, optional
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. To start the filling, use scissors to remove the fig stems, then cut each fig into 5 or 6 pieces directly into a large saucepan. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients until everything is evenly combined. Set the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring frequently; lower the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the filling has tightened up but is not overly stiff. Let it cool, then process it to a puree in a food processor with the metal blade. If you like, the dough and filling can both be chilled for a couple of days before you move on.
2. For the dough, add the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to the food processor bowl with the metal blade in place. Give it several pulses to combine. Add the butter and pulse again and again, until the butter is worked in finely while the mixture remains cool and powdery. Add the eggs and vanilla, then pulse until the dough gathers into a ball. Turn the bowl out onto a floured work surface, then carefully take out the blade. Give the dough a quick knead, just 2 or 3 turns, until it smooths out. Form it into a rough cylinder. You can wrap it and refrigerate it for several days before shaping the cookies.
3. When you are ready to bake, position oven racks in the upper third and lower third, then preheat to 350 degrees F. Cut the dough into 6 pieces; roll each piece into a rope about 12 inches long.
4. Set 1 rope on a floured surface and use your hands and a rolling pin to coax it into a rectangle roughly 4 inches wide by 12 inches long. Pipe or spoon a sixth of the filling along the center, then use a small offset spatula to spread it into a band about 2 inches wide. Brush water over the uncovered dough with a pastry brush, then lift the dough up and around the filling to close it in. Pinch the seam shut where the 2 sides meet. Flip the filled dough so the seam is underneath, and move it to 1 of the prepared pans. Do the same with the rest of the dough, arranging 3 filled pieces on each pan.
5. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the dough looks firm and has turned golden.
6. Let the cookies cool on the pans. Once cool, trim the edges, then cut them crosswise with a sharp knife into 2 1/2-inch lengths.
7. For storage, layer the cookies with wax paper between them in a tin or plastic container that closes tightly.