makes
30
prep
50 minutes
cook
45 minutes
difficulty
Mid
makes
30
serves
preparation
50
minutes
cooking
45
minutes
difficulty
Mid
level
Ingredients
- 250 g (1⅔ cups) plain flour, sifted
- 1 egg
- 100 g caster sugar, plus extra 3 tsp, to sprinkle
- 125 g cold unsalted butter, chopped
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 125 g fig jam (or other type, such as cherry jam)
- 2 tbsp good-quality cocoa, sifted
Cooling time 30 minutes
Chilling time 1 hour
Instructions
Mound flour on a clean work surface. Make a well in centre and fill with egg, sugar, butter, vanilla and baking powder. Using a fork, draw in flour until mixture is thick, then work in remaining flour using your hands to form a smooth dough. Enclose in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place jam and cocoa in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 180°C. Divide dough into 3 portions. Working with a portion at a time (refrigerate remainder until needed), roll out dough between 2 sheets of baking paper to form a 3 mm-thick rectangle about 12 cm-wide. Remove top layer of baking paper. Spread over one-third of the jam mixture leaving a 1 cm border. Roll up dough from a long side to form a log. Using your palm, gently flatten, then sprinkle with 1 tsp extra sugar. Repeat with remaining dough, jam mixture and extra sugar.
Place logs on an oven tray lined with baking paper and bake for 25 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly.
Reduce oven to 100°C. Using a serrated knife, cut logs into 1.5 cm-thick slices and place each slice cut-side up on oven tray. Bake, turning halfway, for a further 20 minutes or until dry. Transfer biscuits to a wire rack and cool completely, then serve. Store biscuits in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Photography Simon Bajada
As seen in Feast magazine, March 2014, Issue 29. For more recipes and articles, pick up a copy of this month's Feast magazine or check out our great subscriptions offers .
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
