Yogurt Cheese and Walnut and Cheese Stuffed Figs

I got some figs in my bountiful basket a little over a week ago, and I decided to play around with them a little...this is definitely my new favorite way to eat them.  I was also playing around with my yogurt. So, two recipes in one post today. :)

Yogurt Cheese

Dairy Free Yogurt (how ever much you want to use, I used two 6oz containers of So Delicious Coconut Yogurt)
A strainer
Cheese Cloth
A Bowl that the strainer can sit over

Directions
Place the strainer over the bowl and put a few layers of cheese cloth into the strainer.  Place the yogurt on the cheese cloth, cover and refrigerate until the desired texture is reached...the longer you let it sit the thicker it gets.  I let mine sit 3-4 days...it seems long, but it took that long for mine to get it to the consistency I wanted it.

You can use yogurt cheese in place of cream cheese or sour cream in recipes.

Walnut and Cheese Stuffed Figs

16 figs
1/2 cup yogurt cheese
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Slice the tips off of the figs and then cut a cross pattern into them, being careful not to cut all the way through the bottom.

Mix together the yogurt cheese and walnuts. Stuff a spoonful into the middle of each fig.

Mix the honey and balsamic vinegar together until fluid, then drizzle it over the stuffed figs.

Fig Newtons

We got figs in our Bountiful Basket this week and so I just had to make fig newtons. This recipe is actually quite versatile, you can use any type of jam as your filling, or have the cookie as a simple sugar cookie and frost it.  Or just make the fig jam and spread it on toast. :)

What I love about making jams are that they can be really easy, I only use two ingredients fruit and sugar, and it turns out. This fig jam I used my same basic recipe, but ended up cooking it for a little be shorter period of time, it thickened within 6 minutes, where some of my berries take 10-12 minutes.

Fig Newtons 
adapted from here


1/2 cup dairy free margarine
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon dairy free milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 1/2 cups gf flour blend
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fig jam (recipe below)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs, one at a time. Add milk, vanilla, and nutmeg.  Mix well.

In a separate bowl combine flour blend, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour mixture to the butter/egg mixture.  The dough should be the proper consistency for rolling out, if it's too sticky add a little more flour.

To make the newtons, divide the dough into 2-3 portions.  Roll out the portions out on parchment paper (I do this so I don't have to use extra flour) So they are about 4-5 inches wide and 10" or more inches long, depending on the size of portion used.  The dough should be about 1/4" thick. Spread jam along one side of the length of the dough and carefully fold the dough over and press the edges together.  Cut in 1 1/2-2" slices.

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

Fig Jam

3/4 cup fresh figs (peeled and mashed)
3/4 cup sugar

Directions
Combine figs and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it boils...boil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until it thickens. Cool and use as filling.

This post is featured on Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Weekly, and Allergy Friendly Friday.