Fig And Cream Cheese Bars

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 ounces)
• 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
• 2 cups dried figs, stems removed
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Recipe

• 1 lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife.
• 2 in a bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and salt, stirring well with a whisk.
• 3 cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. press mixture firmly into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
• 4 combine figs, water and 1/4 cup granulated sugar in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• 5 cook 5 minutes or until figs are tender and sugar dissolves.
• 6 cool slightly. place fig mixture and juice in a blender; process until smooth.
• 7 gently spread fig mixture over prepared crust.
• 8 place remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar, cheese, vanilla, and egg in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
• 9 pour over fig mixture; spread to edges. bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
• 10 cool in pan on a wire rack; sprinkle with powdered sugar.