Orange, Fig, & Walnut Bar Cookies

These flavors must be tasted to be appreciated.

One of my very favorite and perhaps a less well known flavor combinations is that of figs and orange. A wonderful cheese shop operated here for a few years and she imported from Croatia a fig and orange spread in big gallon glass jars that she often used with triple cream cheeses on her cheese trays.  Oh my!  It was just out of this world!  Recently, after looking far and wide, I have found at Fresh Market a similar spread imported from Italy.  Plain fig spreads are readily available and were used in the original version of this recipe.  I had mixed it with orange marmalade to catch the flavor in my version of the spread before finding this one.

My sister Linda gave me a gift of a new cook book.  (I collect them, big surprise!)  2013 tasteofhome ANNUAL RECIPES.  Under the cookie section I came across a Orange Fig & Walnut Bar which I adapted yesterday with great success.  Yum!  It is taking a lot of effort to stay out of them this morning!

Ingredients for Orange, Fig, &, Walnut Bars:

1 Box Orange Cake Mix ( I used Duncan Hinds Mix.)

10 Ounce Jar Fig Preserves ( I used a 8 1/2 oz. jar *Dalmatia Orange Fig Spread and 3 T. plain fig spread.)

1/2 C. Canola Oil

1 Egg

2 C. Chopped Walnuts

1/2 C. powdered sugar reserved for the tops

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and butter and flour a 9" x 13" pan and set it aside.

Combine all of the ingredients, except the powdered sugar,  in a large bowl and mix altogether well. The batter will be very thick. Spread evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake for 30 minutes until done, remove from the oven, then cool. Sprinkle the top of the cookies with powdered sugar and cut into bars. Yield 36 bar cookies.

*Dalmatia Orange and Fig spread can be found at The Fresh Market.  It is the only place I have ever been able to find and buy it.  I was originally introduced to it several years ago by a gal who opened a cheese specialty shop here.  She imported it in large gallon jars from Croatia.  The small pamphlet on this jar says it is imported from Italy via Croatia.  It is absolutely delicious served with a triple cream soft cheese on crackers which was my first introduction to it. Or you can certainly whip up a batch of these bar cookies for a real treat.