Fig Rolls

If you’re feeling inspired by last night’s episode of The Great British Bake Off, and fancy giving the technical challenge of fig rolls a go yourself, this recipe will guide you through step by step.

Ingredients

  • 115g plain flour
  • 115g wholemeal flour
  • 150g unsalted butter, cut into chunks
  • 65g light muscavado sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, yolks only
  • 250g dried figs, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice

Method

  1. Combine both of the flours in a large bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingertips until you have a mixture that resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  2. Add in the sugar, vanilla extract and egg yolks, then mix to form a firm dough, adding water in 1 tbsp at a time if necessary. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  3. Take a small saucepan add tip in the figs, along with 6 tbsp of water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and gently simmer for 5 minutes, until the figs have plumped up and the water has been absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and lightly mash with a fork. Add in the lemon juice, stir well and leave to cool.
  4. Preheat your oven to 190°C / 170°C Fan / Gas Mark 5, and roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until you have rectangle about 50cm x 15cm. Cut the dough in half lengthways to make to strips.
  5. Spoon half of the fig puree along the centre of each strip, then bring the opposite long side up and over the filling to form a ‘log’ shape. Press the edges together to seal.
  6. Flatten each of the logs slightly then, using a sharp knife, cut each log into 10 biscuits and transfer to a greased baking sheet. Prick each biscuit with a fork, and bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly dark in colour. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Lead image: alpaksoy via Getty images.