These Slice and Bake Cookies with Fig, Ginger and Macadamia were inspired by the sweet treats in the cabinet at a lovely café in The Rocks, the heritage part of Sydney where I used to work. Those cookies were my favourite afternoon indulgence. I ate waaaay too many of them over the years! Of course I had to try and recreate my own version, which I liked even better. There’s a feast of textures in every single bite. Buttery, crumbly, a little bit fancy and perfect with a cup of tea. They are sure to be a crowd pleaser. 

These cookies feel both nostalgic and a little bit special. They are also lovely to give as homemade gifts, tuck into lunchboxes and festive enough to include in Christmas cookie boxes. The dough can be made ahead of time and chilled for 1-3 days in the fridge or even be frozen for when you want fresh cookies on standby. When baked, they last for about a week in an air-tight container.

What are Slice and Bake cookies?

I just love the concept of ‘Slice and Bake’ cookies. Where biscotti is baked, sliced, then baked again, this version is chilled first before slicing and baking. This is an easy shortbread-style dough that’s delicious on its own, but also becomes the base for almost any flavour combo you can dream up! This is one of those simple recipes where every ingredient plays a role in creating that perfect crumbly, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Instead of granulated sugar, I use icing sugar for a softer, more tender cookie. It dissolves easily into the butter and gives the dough a delicate sweetness without any graininess. The combination of plain flour, rice flour and cornflour is what really sets this recipe apart. The plain flour gives the cookies enough structure to hold their shape, while the rice flour adds that lovely short, sandy texture. A little cornflour (also known as cornstarch) softens everything and keeps the crumb light and delicate like a true shortbread.

You don’t need any eggs in this recipe, just a splash of milk to bring the dough together. Just mix it, roll it, chill it, slice it and bake! No cookie cutters, no scooping, no fuss! 

The fig, macadamia and candied ginger bring *all* the personality and a lovely blend of textures. Chewiness, crunch and sweet little pops of warmth from the ginger. The dark chocolate drizzle (or dip!) makes these cookies look gorgeous but also adds another layer of flavour. Together, it all just works. I can’t stop nibbling on these!

How can I adapt Slice and Bake cookies

This is one of those awesome, adaptable recipes I know you’ll come back to over and over. If Fig, Macadamia and Ginger isn’t your thing, try one of these flavour twists instead:

• Add chopped dark chocolate chunks and 1-2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
• Try a fun, colourful sprinkle version with funfetti or your favourite themed sprinkles. I can imagine a super cute red and green Christmas version!
• Chocolate version – replace 2 tablespoons of flour with cocoa powder, then when baked, drizzle or dip into white or dark chocolate. Sprinkle with candy cane, crushed nuts or freeze-dried raspberries
• Add dried cranberries and pistachios, plus a white chocolate drizzle on the baked cookies
• Add cinnamon into the dough, then roll in coarse sugar before slicing
• Add lemon zest and poppyseeds for a zesty afternoon treat
• Add dried sour cherries, cacao nibs and chopped almonds or hazelnuts
• Coconut version – replace the vanilla extract with coconut extract. Brush the rolled cookie logs with a little egg white and roll in shredded coconut. You could also drizzle with white chocolate.

Related Post: Chai, Fig and Almond Biscotti

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Fig, Ginger and Macadamia Slice and Bake Cookies

These slice and bake cookies are buttery, crumbly and endlessly adaptable! Start with this easy shortbread-style base and customise with your favourite flavours like fig, ginger, macadamia and dark chocolate. Perfect for cookie boxes, make-ahead baking and homemade gifts.

Course Cookies

Keyword Chocolate, Cookies

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Chill 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours

Servings 30 cookies

Ingredients

• 250 g butter, softened
• 1 ¼ cups icing sugar (powdered sugar), sifted
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups plain (all-purpose flour)
• ½ cup rice flour
• 1/3 cup cornflour
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ cup dried figs, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup macadamias, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons candied or crystalised ginger, roughly chopped
• 80 g dark chocolate, melted

Instructions

1. Beat butter, icing sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift the plain flour, rice flour and cornflour together. Stir the sifted flours into the butter mixture in two batches, then add the milk. Beat until just combined.
2. Using a wooden spoon stir in figs, macadamias and candied ginger until evenly distributed.
3. Divide mixture into two equal portions. Knead each half on a floured surface until smooth, then roll each half into a 25cm (10 inch) log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour or up to 3 days.
4. Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
5. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the logs into 1-1.5cm (approx ½ inch) slices and place about 3-4cm (1 ½ inch) apart on prepared trays. Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden, rotating at the halfway mark. Remove from oven and cool completely on trays.
6. Drizzle melted dark chocolate over cookies or dip them into chocolate and place back onto the tray. Place into the fridge until chocolate has set.