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Saturday 8 October 2011

this is how we roll




With all the dried fruit in the shops for those industrious souls making their Christmas cakes, puddings and mincemeat, I could not resist a few bags of dried figs for some of these old favorites. One of the enduring classics of the biscuit world. No mystery to these fig rolls… just great fun to make and delicious to eat.

For the filling:
7 oz dried figs quartered
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp cocoa powder (optional, but gives the filling a lovely colour)
½ tsp allspice
pinch of salt

For the dough:
4 oz plain flour
4 oz wholemeal flour
3 oz butter
2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp milk (probably a bit more)
1 large egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp baking powder



Directions:
Put the figs in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat with 300ml (1/2 pint) water. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the figs are tender and the liquid is well reduced. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 5 mins more until very little liquid remains. Set aside to cool, then puree in a food processor. Let cool completely and refrigerate until set.

Put all the ingredients for the pastry in a food processor and mix, adding more milk a tiny bit at a time until it pulls together as a dough.  Wrap your dough tightly in cling film and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Lightly grease a baking sheet. Pre-heat oven to 175C/350F.

Press the pastry out between two sheets of cling film and roll out to roughly an oblong about (16 x 5 inches). Peel back the top layer of cling film. Spread the fig paste down the centre of the dough rectangle and using the bottom layer of cling film, roll in the sides so that they overlap over the filling.
Trim the ends of the roll, turn the rolls so that the pastry seam is on the bottom and cut into just over one inch wide slices (about 12 fig rolls) and place on the baking sheet.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a rack.

15 comments:

  1. I love Fig Rolls! I am not a biscuit lover at all but homemade figrolls are the bomb. The Chef made them for my Mum years ago and served them warm from the oven with creme anglaise. My Mother is still talking about them.
    Great shots too. I really need to work on my camera buttons.

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  2. These look fantastic Anne Marie! I always wondered how they got the fig in the figroll!!

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  3. wow...hearty n irresistable rolls..
    first time here...lovely space you have..
    awesome recipe collection..
    Am your happy follower now..:)
    do stop by mine sometime..
    Tasty Appetite

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  4. Homemade figrolls! You get about thirteen thousand Blogtopian points for those and shoot straight to the top of the scoreboard. Only someone who bottles their own coconut milk can beat you now.

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  5. yum! My boyfriend is completely obsessed with fig rolls - he can eat a whole packet in one sitting :-) We tried to make them once and they just weren't the same, but yours look amazing. Definitely going to have a go at this recipe, will earn me lots of brownie points!

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  6. That is SO awesome! I can't believe you made your own fig rolls. My hat is tipped to you, lady. Tipped!

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  7. They look so professional. I'm not a fig fan but they are so cute :)

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  8. Mona - my Dad's favorite biscuit was the fig roll when we were growing up, mostly I suspect, because we all hated them so much - until the day that my ever inventive mum put them in the oven to warm through and served them with homemade custard. He had to find another favorite biscuit after that as there were never any left in the tin. They are soooo nice like that. Your Mum is quite right.

    Now you know Nessa, they have been scamming us for years. :)

    Mise, so flattered, and all that coming from the Queen of Fudge. I don't know haw to hide my blushes!

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  9. Homemade fig rolls are positively epic in my book - is it ok to just call you Figgsy from now on?

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  10. Thanks DS - my middle name is Figgsy - so i'm totally fine with that

    @littleloaf - For ultimate brownie points use all plain flour instead of the half white/half wholemeal - will give a more authentic packet fig roll experience.

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  11. Found you through TasteSpotting.

    1. Love your blog name.

    2. Love this recipe. I will definitely be attempting these! They look like the real thing, and I have a feeling they taste better too.

    3. If they do taste like the real thing, I have a feeling I will warm, snug, and fat myself...because I'll eat the entire pan - lol

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  12. LOVE fig newtons. i would eat this whole sheet.

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  13. Thanks for pulling these out of archives-perfect timing for the fall. I saw figs in the grocers the other day. I will need to get some-these look delicious!

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  14. Wow, wow, wow. I am afraid I'd be even more powerless over these than with the packet version!

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