Physics are not my strong suit, but I do know one thing is for sure: Sir Isaac Newton understood the laws of cookies. It was all cleverly disguised as the principles that govern motion, but I can see through that ploy. It’s all written out, clear as day.
Law #1: A body at rest will remain at rest, and a body in motion will remain in motion, unless it is acted upon by an external force.
Unless you start preheating the oven, it will never get hot. These cookies won’t bake themselves, you know.
Law #2: The force acting upon an object is equal to the mass of that object multiplied by its acceleration.
A rolling pin must be wielded with both gentle yet firm pressure to properly flatten the dough.
Law #3: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Though tempting, if you eat a whole batch of cookies by yourself, you WILL get a stomachache.
Whether or not Fig Newtons were named for the mathematician is still up for debate, though we can all agree that they’re logically sound snacks. They’ve been around since the 1850’s, changing very little over the years. Take a wholesome, lightly sweetened pastry dough and wrap it around a whole fruit filling for surefire success. Sure, they’re not as glamorous as chocolate-coated, sugar-encrusted, or sprinkle-topped sweets, but they’re deeply comforting in a way that such flighty trends can’t even touch.
For their latest evolution, I’m bringing healthy back and taking out the gluten and refined sugars. With a touch of lemon juice mixed with the lightly simmered fig jam, these humble little bars taste so much brighter and fresher than anything sitting around on grocery store shelves.
I think Mr. Newton himself would be proud.