Fig Star Cookies

Yields:	72 servings
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	Preparation	30 minutes
	Cooking	25 minutes
	Ready In	4 hours

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Ingredients

1	cup	vegetable shortening
1/2	cup	sugar	granulated
3/4	cup	corn syrup
1/4	teaspoon	maple flavoring
2	large	eggs	beaten
4 1/2	cups	flour, all-purpose	sifted
1	teaspoon	baking powder
1/2	teaspoon	salt

Fig filling
1 1/2	cups	figs	dried
1	cup	water	cold
1/2	cup	corn syrup
1	teaspoon	lemon zest	grated
6	tablespoons	sugar	granulated
Few	grains	salt
1	tablespoon	lemon juice
1/2	cup	nuts	chopped

Directions

Cream the shortening and sugar; beat in the corn syrup, maple flavoring and eggs.

Sift together the flour and salt; stir into the shortening mixture.

Shape the dough into two rolls about 2 1/2-inches in diameter.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours.

For the filling, cover the figs with boiling water and let stand for 10 minutes; drain, clip off the stems and cut fairly fine with scissors.

Add the cold water and cook for about 10 minutes until tender.

Add the corn syrup and lemon rind; cook for a few minutes longer.

Mix the sugar, flour and salt; add all at once and cook, stirring, until thickened and clear.

Remove from heat; add the lemon juice and nuts.

Cool.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut the rolls of dough into thin slices.

For star cookies, put a small spoonful of fig filling in the center of a cookie slice; then with your fingers, fold up the edges and pinch in place to make a reasonable facsimile of a star.

For filled cookies, put slices together in pairs with a dot of fig filling between them; press the edges together and prick the top with a fork or mark with a knife.

Bake either cookie for 8 to 10 minutes, or until delicately browned around the edges.

Cool on racks.

Note: To freshen the cookies, reheat them in the oven for a few minutes and serve warm.