A sweet cream cheese and dried fruit filling with a hint of mint makes these cookies really special. They are ideal for reducing hunger pangs after school or work.

Ingredients: (Makes 24)

• 350 g/12 oz/3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• 200 g/7 oz/scant 1 cup unsalted (sweet) butter, diced
• 1 egg, beaten
• Caster (superfine) sugar, for sprinkling

For the filling:

• 500 g/1¼ lb/2½ cups ricotta cheese
• 115 g/4 oz/generous ½ cup caster (superfine) sugar
• 5 ml/1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint
• 50 g/2 oz ready-to-eat dried figs, chopped
• 50 g/2 oz ready-to-eat dried peaches, chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5. And then lightly grease a 33 x 23 cm/13 x 9 inch Swiss roll tin (jelly roll pan) or shallow cake tin (pan). Put the flour and butter into a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and enough water to mix to a firm but not sticky dough.

Divide the pastry into two and roll out one piece to fit the base of the prepared tin. Place in the tin and trim.

To make the filling, put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Spread over the pastry base. Roll out the remaining pastry and place on top with a fork then sprinkle with caster sugar.

Bake for about 30 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and sprinkle more caster sugar thickly over the top. Cool and cut into slices to serve.