Fig Jam and Lime Cordial

These were remarkably simple to make, although there is a bit of technique in the baking that you need to know about.  The aim is to set the oven temperature to hot enough so that they puff up a bit, but not to bake them too long or they’ll overbrown and become hard and crispy (you want to keep the pastry light and flaky).

The kifli needs a thick filling, or it will all run out when they’re baked.  The chocolate sticks we used were specially formulated for baking (they’re the ones used in pain du chocolat), so they don’t melt to liquid in the oven.  Similarly, June’s plum paste is a thick, dryish spread, which works beautifully with the pastry, as it adds just the right amount of sweetness.  I tried mine with a thick strawberry jam, which wasn’t too bad, although some of them did leak out, leaving me with an empty shell.

June’s Jam Kifli

Dough:

• 250g unsalted butter
• 500g plain flour
• 300g thick sour cream

Filling:

• Plum paste, or thick, firmly set jam
• Or..Chocolate sticks (my addition, so not traditional)

Finishing:

Icing Sugar Mixture

1. Preheat the oven to 180C (170C with fan).  On a large work surface (or in a big wide mixing bowl), rub the butter into the flour, then knead in the sour cream (all by hand).  This will make a very smooth, elastic dough which is bit buttery to touch.

2. This is the tricky part to explain, so I’ve added some photos from the batch I made later in the afternoon.  With a rolling pin (June uses a modified broom handle), roll the dough out into a very large rectangle.

Fold it in thirds one way, then the other.

Then fold the short ends into the middle.

Then fold the dough in half, and let it rest for ten minutes.

3. Roll the dough out again into a large rectangle, and repeat the folding process above.  Rest for ten minutes.

4. Roll the dough out one last time to a thickness of approximately 5mm, and, using a small round cutter, cut small circles from the dough.

5. Place a teaspoonful of jam or paste, or a small piece of chocolate, in the centre of each circle, and fold the circle in half over the filling, to create a small half moon.  Press lightly around the edge to keep the pastry closed.

6. Place the kifli on an oven tray lined with Bake (parchment paper) and bake in the oven for 18 – 25 minutes.  You need to keep an eye on these, because you really don’t want them to go too brown, or they’ll be crunchy rather than flaky.

7. Once they’re done, remove the kifli from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.  When cool, toss them in some sifted icing sugar mixture (June did this by putting the icing sugar in a large plastic bag, adding the cooled pastries and giving them a good jiggle.  I tossed mine in a bowl, about six at a time).