Recipe for classic fig rolls (aka fig newtons), but made with wholemeal spelt flour. The fig paste is lightly spiced and gently sweetened and the pastry casing is delicious in its own right with subtle notes of lemon.
Prep Time45 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Cooking Fig Paste10 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course: Afternoon Tea, Snack
Cuisine: British
Keyword: biscuits, cinnamon, cookies, figs, ginger, pastry, wholemeal spelt flour
Place the figs in a small saucepan and add enough water to just cover them. Add the ginger and sugar.
Bring to the boil, then simmer, stirring occassionaly for about 8 minutes or until the figs are cooked through and the water has evaporated.
Add the dried spices and purée with a stick blender or mini food processor until you have a rough paste. Leave to cool and firm up.
Biscuit Dough
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the salt and lemon zest and cream some more.
Beat in the egg.
Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix until it's mostly incorporated. Bring it all together with your hands to form a soft dough. If it's really soft, you may want to cover it and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. But you shouldn't need to do this.
Heat the oven to 200℃ (400℉, Gas 6).
On a floured surgace, roll out the dough to a rectangle measuring 21cm by 27cm. It should be about 4mm thick. Cut lenghtways into two strips measuring 10 1/2 cm by 27cm.
Spoon half of the fig mixture down the middle of one strip and the rest down the middle of the other strip. Neaten it up with your fingers, if needed.
Bring the two sides of each strip of pastry up to join in the middle and roughly crimp with your fingers to seal.
Turn the rolls over so the seem is at the bottom and cut each one into eight equal sized pieces.
Line a baking sheet with baking paper (or silicone mat) and gently transfer the rolls, placing a little apart. With a fork, press each one gently down to flatten it slightly and to add a pattern on the top.
Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
Can keep for up to a week in a sealed container, though the pastry will soften.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They're approximate and will depend on serving size and exact ingredients used.