Fig Rolls

This year, I am finding it desperately hard not to go "full Christmas" on you so early in the year. I've already dusted of my Rat Pack Christmas album, made five Christmas presents, decided on goose rather than turkey and have cajoled Jim into letting us have two Christmas trees this year (We have a fake one in the loft that hasnt been used for three years on the trot). I had a dream about table setting the other night. No lie. 

I have a daily battle with not starting a mince pie binge.  

But, as I keep on being reminded, it is too early. 1st December seems like an age away. 

In the meantime, I'll sulk a bit. I made fig rolls and only twice did my hand hover over the mixed spice... 

Ingredients

Fig Filling

250gr dried ready to eat figs

Water

Biscuit Dough

250gr plain flour

170gr cold butter

70gr caster sugar

2 egg yolks

Tiny pinch of salt

Method

1, First get your fig filling on the go.  This needs to be cold when you use it. 

2, Cut each of the figs into quarters and put in a medium saucepan over a low heat.  Add a couple of large splashes of water and put on the lid.  You'll need to simmer these really gently until soft. You might need to add more water but don't be tempted to drown them.  I smooshed mine with the back of a wooden spoon a bit to break them down. 

3, When the figs are soft, blend in a food processor. Return them to the pan, and over a low heat, cook until you have a thickish paste consistency. Remove from the heat, transfer to a small bowl and leave to cool completely. 

4, To make the biscuit dough, sift the flour into a large bowl, cut up the cold butter and rub together with your fingertips until you have a lumpy bread crumb type consistency.  

5, Stir through the sugar and then add in the egg yolks.  Bring the dough together using your hands and flatten into a disc before wrapping in clingfilm and sticking in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

6, When you have chilled biscuit dough and cold fillling, dust your worktop with flour and roll the biscuit dough out to a rectangle which is roughly 15 cm by 40cm   Cut down the middle of the dough so you have two long strips. Add half the fig mixture to each dough strip by spooning it, just off centre, down the dough strip. 

7, Fold the edges of the biscuit dough around the fig mixture. I rolled mine over slightly so the join was on the bottom.  You should now have two logs. Flatten these slightly and cut these into 4-5cm sections and place on a lined baking tray. 

8, Bake these in a preheated oven at 190o/c for 20-25minutes until gold brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a wire rack before eating. You really don't want to attempt to put one of these in your mouth when they are hot; the filling is the temperature of lava. Trust me (and my burnt lip).