The New Murrey and Blue blog

Here is the second in a proposed series of mediaeval recipes. Figs in a coffin means a pastry filled with figs!

Ingredients

Royal pastry:

4 cups (500g) of pastry flour

1 teaspoon (3g) of salt

1 1/2 cups (345g) of butter

4 egg yolks, beaten

2-4 tablespoons (30-60 ml) of cold water

Fig Filling:

8 ounces (230g) of fresh or dried figs

Pinch of saffron

1 teaspoon (3g) of Poudre Forte (mix two teaspoons (6g) of ground cinnamon, one teaspoon each (3g) of ground pepper, ground ginger, ground mace and ground cloves – this is your Poudre Forte)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) of honey

Oil for frying

N.B. Alternatively you can cook them in the oven: Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Bake them for 15-20 mins until golden brown. Leave to cool before brushing with honey (see below) and serving hot or cold.

Method

First make the Poudre Forte by mixing as above.

Make the Royal Pastry:

In a large bowl mix the flour and salt and rub the butter in until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the beaten egg yolks and knead while gradually adding the water a little at a time as required, so that the pastry is formed into a ball and leaves the side of the bowl. Cover with clingfilm and allow to rest for about fifteen minutes. (I know it’s not mediaeval, but…!)

(Alternatively, you can buy ready-made short crust pastry for a modern short-cut!)

Make the fig filling:

Finely chop the figs as small as possible.

Mix in the saffron, Poudre Forte and one tablespoon (15 ml) of honey and mix.

Roll out the pastry and use a circular cutter (two circles for each ‘coffin’)

Place a teaspoonful of the fig mixture on half the circles and cover each with another circle of pastry.  Press each of them together using a fork around the edges.

Heat the oil in a large pan (enough to cover the base) and fry the coffins until lightly browned and crisp, turning over as required. Leave the drain.

Pour the rest of the honey into a small pan and heat, skimming of any scum. Brush the fritters with the honey once they have drained.

Eat hot or cold.