Oh my goodness! It worked! These fig newtons came out absolutely fantastica! Moist, tender, and packed with figgy flavor. I could not have been happier.
Place the flour, milk and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until it forms a dough. The dough will be slightly dry but will still hold its form when pressed.
Place the figs into a food process.
Add 1/4 cup of water and pulse a few times. If the figs form a paste you are done. If not, add a bit more water and pulse again. Continue until you get a firm paste, but do not add too much water that it becomes runny.
Roll the dough out on a flat surface. Form a rectangle that is 6" deep and about 1/4" thick. Don't worry about the width of the dough.
Spread the fig paste down the center 2" of the dough, leaving 2" above and below to the edges of the dough.
Fold the edges over the fig filling. The dough might split a bit along the edges. Use your fingers to pinch it back together.
Use a pastry or pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into 2" pieces.
Transfer cookies to the Nesco Snackmaster Pro trays. Note: Our fig newtons were pretty thick so they they did like to stick to the tray above them. Don't fret that, they'll come out fine. I do recommend that you do not place any cookies on the top rack, the one closest to the dehydrator motor as they may stick to it.
Set the temperature to 115 F and dry for up to 48 hours or until the dough is soft but dry.