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Fig, cinnamon and sunflower bakewell

Preparation time | 15 minutes + 20 minutes steeping
Cooking time | 45 minutes
Makes | 24 bars

Ingredients
120g dried figs, finely sliced
120ml brandy
125g plain flour
200g icing sugar
200g unsalted butter, cold, diced
1 egg yolk
40ml milk
125g caster sugar
4 eggs
150g almond meal
½ tsp almond essence
2 tsp ground cinnamon
150g fig jam
70g sunflower seeds
20ml lemon juice

Ingredients
1 | Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a 27 x 18cm slice pan with baking paper. Heat figs and brandy in a small saucepan on medium. Bring to the boil, then set aside for 20 minutes to cool.
2 | Put flour, 40g of the icing sugar and 65g of the unsalted butter in a food processor and pulse until a coarse paste forms. Add yolk and milk and pulse briefly until smooth. Press into the base of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and just firm.
3 | Put remaining butter and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high for 2 minutes or until light and creamy. Add eggs and almond meal, then beat until smooth. Beat in almond essence and cinnamon, then figs and remaining brandy.
4 | Spread fig jam over biscuit base, then top with the almond mixture. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds, then bake for 30 minutes, until golden and firm to touch.
5 | Put lemon juice and remaining icing sugar in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the baked slice. Leave to set. Slice and serve.

Photo by John Paul Urizar May 31, 2011