Fig & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars

My father would have loved these! He was crazy for figs.....a Fig Newton lover from way back. I don't think I ever saw him eat a fresh fig, but he loved them cooked in bars and desserts, you know what I mean...gooey, sticky and sweet. As for me, I'm a convert...never cared for fresh figs much, but one day someone served me some with a dab of mascarpone on top and that sweet, honeyed flavor won me over. 
The chocolate addition is interesting, isn't it? Wouldn't have thought of it myself, but that's why I love all you creative bloggers!  Crazy about the splash of port in the filling. These are chewy and divine. I still have lots of fresh figs in my market, hope you do too.

Fig & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
From :pastry studio

Ingredients:
16 - 18 fresh ripe figs
2 – 3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar, to taste
good dash of Port

1 cup flour 
1 and 3/4 cup old fashioned oats 
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed 
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 oz (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Method:
Stem and chop the figs and place in a saucepan with the water and sugar. Cook until the figs are soft and juicy, stirring frequently so they don't burn. Add more water if necessary as the mixture cooks and taste to adjust sugar. Pull off the heat and cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease an 8” square pan and line with a piece of parchment paper large enough to form an overhang along two sides of the pan.

Combine the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and both sugars in the bowl of a food processor. Process until ingredients are combined and the oats are chopped a bit but not ground completely. 

Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add to the dry ingredients along with the vanilla. Pulse until the mixture starts to clump. It might still look loose, but should hold together when pinched.

Press about 2/3 of the oatmeal mixture into the prepared pan to form the bottom layer. Distribute the chopped chocolate evenly across the surface. Pour the fig mixture over the chocolate and spread gently. Top with the remaining oatmeal mixture. Press the sliced almonds gently into the surface.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until slightly browned. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Gently lift out of the pan using the parchment overhang and cut into bars.