Filling: Cook the dates in a medium saucepan with the water Sugar and lemon juice until mushy and spreadable.

Dough: Cream butter, brown sugar and beaten egg. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and add to the creamed butter mixture. Whizz in a food processor until smooth and the consitency of pastry, then wrap in greaseproof paper and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to make the dough easier to roll out.

Roll the dough until 1/4 inch thick. The dough should be a rectangle about 9 inches by 20 inches. Spread the filling mixture evenly on the dough. Roll the dough and filling into a 20 inch long log, wrap in greaseproof paper and refrigerate again for a few hours to make it easier to cut.

Cut the log into 1/4 inch thick slices and bake on a greased tray at 350F for 8 - 10 minutes