Make the dough in a stand mixer: Combine butter, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until fluffy, which will take up to 5 minutes; scrape the bowl down a few times to help it along. Add orange juice, then add the egg and yolk, beating between them, and continue beating until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and sprinkle in the flour, mixing until well combined.

Or make the dough in a food processor: Combine butter, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and honey in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until fluffy, which will take a minute or two; scrape the bowl down a few times to help it along. Add orange juice, then add the egg and yolk, blending between them, and continue blending until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and sprinkle in the flour, pulsing until well combined.

Both methods: Scrape dough onto a piece of plastic and wrap it in a flat disc. Chill for one hour.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Cut the figs in half (although I skipped this because mine were so soft and it wasn’t a problem). Pulse with applesauce, orange juice, and zest in a food processor until roughly chopped, then process to a thick, smooth paste. Scrape the bowl and blade with a flexible spatula, then process a minute more to ensure absolutely no chunks remain. Transfer to a sturdy piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip if you have one, or just a sturdy freezer bag with a 1/2-inch opening snipped from the end and set aside until needed, up to 24 hours.

Assemble your cookies: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll your cool dough between two large pieces of parchment paper to about a 15-inch square. Cut dough into four 3 1/4-inch strips.

Holding the bag at a 90-degree angle just above the surface of the dough, pipe a just-shy-of-1-inch-wide tube of filling down the center of each portion. Use your bottom sheet of parchment as a sling to fold a long flap of dough over each strip, press it against the filling, then continue to use the parchment to roll the dough the rest of the way over. Dough will overlap a little.

This part will be terrifying no matter what, but take your time to loosen, slide a spatula underneath, and lift this log onto your prepared baking sheet. If it breaks, press the broken parts back together. Gently press logs just a tiny bit to begin to flatten them into the traditional fig newton shape. Repeat with remaining strips of dough and filling. All four bars should fit on a single sheet.

Bake: Until the bars are puffed and firm, without any significant browning, about 15 minutes. Immediately cut into 1-inch pieces with a sharp or serrated knife. Let them fully cool on the tray, then transfer them to an airtight container overnight to achieve the uniquely cakey texture.

Store for up to 1 week at room temperature or up to a month in the fridge. Play around with the lid being ajar if cookies get too soft.

To make Fig Newton-Taschen: Use a 3-inch cutter and only use 2/3 of the filling, piped or spooned in a blob in the center. They bake in 10 to 12 minutes; keep an eye on them so they don’t get too dark.