Fig Cakes--From a Friend!

Many years ago when we lived in Louisiana, we enjoyed the fellowship of  great folks, who shared so many of their life styles, especially food!  And with the sharing of food came the recipes for the dishes that we ate.  Louisiana is known for good Cajun food--but, here is one recipe that I thoroughly enjoyed making and eating--and it doesn't have anything to do with seafood or spices or the holy trinity (celery, onion, bell pepper).

If you have ever eaten a Fig Newton cookie--this is ten times better!  Of course, it takes some preparation but oh so worth it!  Thanks to my dear Lousiana friend Helen, as she shared with me, I share with you!

Here we go with the dough recipe:
                      1 Cup shortening (it's that shortening thing again)
                      1 Cup sugar
                      3 eggs
                      1 teaspoon vanilla
                      7 Cups flour (could be more, could be less)
                      7 teaspoons of baking powder
                      1 Cup milk
                      1 teaspoon salt
 Cream shortening, sugar, add eggs, vanilla till fluffy.  Sift flour with baking powder and salt into shortening/sugar mixture; gradually add milk till stiff dough is moist--not too dry--not too wet!
Form into ball--at this point, you can let dough rest in refrigerator while you mix up the filling.

Filling:           2 packages of dried figs
                       1/2 cup raisins
                       1/2 cup pecans
                       1/2 pint fig preserves
                       dash of black pepper
                       juice of orange and grated rind.
Soak the dried figs about an hour or until soft.  Grind figs, pecans and orange rind.  Add this to the fig preserves and raisins.  Mix.

Now, take the dough and roll out till about 1/4" thick; cut into 2" strips across the dough.  In each section add a Tablespoon full of the fig mixture.  Fold over the dough, place on baking sheet and bake at 400* for 20 minutes or till brown.
While the fig cakes are cooling, sift one box of powdered sugar with little milk to pour over the cakes.  Traditionally, you can add sprinkles--but, in our house, these little delights were gobbled up quicker than I could add the sprinkles--

Just yummy goodness coming to your mouth!  I think I'm off to the grocery to pick up some shortening and dried figs!