2 teaspoons (14 grams) molasses
1 teaspoon (5 grams) vanilla bean paste (see Recipe Notes)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Line a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with paper liners.
Place the hazelnuts on the rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 4 to 5 minutes, until toasted. Transfer the nuts, while still hot, into a kitchen towel, and rub the nuts for about 2 minutes to remove the skins. Not every nut will be skinless. Set the nuts aside.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the rolled oats for 20 seconds. Add the hazelnuts and process for 25 to 30 seconds. Add the figs and process in 6 (1-second) pulses.
Remove the top of the processor and add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and egg. Cover and pulse in 4 (1-second) pulses to combine.
Add the melted butter, milk, molasses, and vanilla and pulse for 2 (1- second) pulses only, just to combine. Do not overmix (overmixing results in tunneling and toughness!).
Scoop 1/2 cup of the mixture into each muffin cup. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins are crusty and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 4 to 5 minutes, until cool enough to handle. Gently remove from the pan and place on a cooling rack to cool completely.