Sweets

with special thanks to  ilovefood.com.mt 

Bread Pudding – Pudina  tal-Hobz

Ingredients:

2 large Maltese loaves (or equivalent), preferably a day or two old

400 g. sugar

350 g. margerine

3 eggs

1 grated rind of one lemon

2 tablespoons chocolate powder

100g. currants or sultanas

glaced cherries

one packet dates (optional) cut into small pieces

some walnuts or almonds (roasted and cut into small pieces)

one small glass brandy or rum (optional)

Method:

Soak bread in water for two hours until soft, drain  bread properly Add margerine and sugar. Mix well. Beat eggs  and add to the mixture. Add the other ingredients. Put mixture in a  container well greased and cook in a moderate oven for about an  hour (Till top is brown and crispy).

Serve hot withcustard or cold on it’s own.

OR (For those on a diet)

Ingredients:

1 large Maltese loaves (or equivalent), preferably a day or two old

1 egg

1 grated rind of one lemon

1 tablespoons chocolate powder

150g. currants or sultanas

100g coconuts

1tbsp strawberry jam

glaced cherries

some walnuts or almonds (roasted and cut into small pieces)

one small glass vermouth

milk

Method:

Soak bread in water for two hours until soft, drain bread properly Beat eggs and add to the mixture. Add the other ingredients. Put mixture in a container well greased and cook in a moderate oven for about an hour (Till top is brown and crispy).

Buskuttelli

Ingredients

15g fresh yeast or dried yeast

150ml175 ml water
400g plain flour pinch of salt
50g butter
1 – 1 1/2 tsp crashed aninseed
200g castor sugar

Method

Cream the yeast in water, sieve the flour and salt into a bowl, rub in the butter and add the sugar and ainseed make a well and add the yeast and water at least 150ml water is used but adjust this quantity to the flour, bring the mixture together, then turn on a work surface and knead until you have a pliable bread like dough, return to bowl and prove in a warm place covered, until doubled in bulk, this will take longer then bread as the sugar retards the rising,return the dough to work surface, knead briefly to knock it back, form into 4 elongated cakes and bake on a tray at 200c/400f/gas6 until cooked through, approximately 20 mins. allow to cool overnight, cut each cake into thin slices lay out on a try and bake at 180c/ 350f/ gas4, until crisp and golden checking frequently that they do not catch, cool on a wire rack

Candied Peel – Konfettura

Ingredients

8 or 9 oranges or tangerines

1 tsp. salt

400g sugar

Method

Take only fruit  in good condition, preferably untreated and organically grown,

peel  and cut each whole, peel into 6 or 8 pieces, place in a bowl and  cover with salted water,

leave for 2 or 3  days, drain and rinse, cover with fresh water in a  saucepan,

simmer until the peel  feels tender, drain again and reserve peel in a clean  bowl.

Dissolve the sugar in 250ml.  of water over low heat. Do not stir, but shake the pan from time to  time, then bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, pour over the  peel, cover and stand in a cool place for approximately 4  days.

Pour off the syrup into a  saucepan and bring to the boil, add the peel and let it boil until  the syrup is clear and almost all absorbed by the peel, turn into a  lightly buttered tin or dish, sprinkle with a little more sugar and  leave to dry and candy.

Store in an airtight jar when  cold and use as needed

Date Diamonds –  Imqaret

Ingredients

For the pastry 

400g flour

75g sugar

pinch baking  powder

100g margarine

1 egg

For the Filling

400g dates

orange zest

lemon zest

some brandy or anisette

Method

Mix margarine, flour and baking powder together and work until smooth.

Mix sugar and egg together, add to the flour  and work to a smooth dough.

Leave to rest for 2 hours.

Put the dates with two tablespoons of water in a small pan and heat for a  few minutes. Add zests and brandy and work the mixture with a  fork. Open the pastry into long strips about lOcm wide. Brush  the edges with water. Put a little filling in the centre. Fold  pastry. Press both edges to keep the filling in. Using a ravioli  cutter cut into large diamond shaped slices about 40cms long.

Cook in plenty of hot oil until golden brown.

Galletti

Ingredients

15g.  fresh yeast or the equivalent in easy blend or dried yeast

150 –  175 ml. warm water

200g. plain flour

pinch of salt

150g. semolina

25g. butter

Method

Cream the yeast in water, sieve the flour and  salt into a bowl, add the semolina rub in the butter, add the yeast  and enough water until you have a pliable but rather dry dough,  work a little dough at a time,  keeping the rest in a refrigerator  to retard the rising, roll out very thinly on  a floured board and cut into rounds using a plain 5m cutter, prick  each biscuit with a fork and lay on a floured baking sheet, bake at 200c / 400/ F/gas mark 6 until just coloured, cool on a wire tray, when completely cold store in  a airtight tin

Imbuljuta

Ingredients

450g dried chestnuts

1 heaped tbsp cocoa

180g sugar

A piece of  tangerine peel finely chopped

Method

Wash the chestnuts thoroughly.
Place them in a large bowl and cover them with water. Leave to soak  overnight. Next day remove any loose pieces of skin. Preserve water  for boiling the chestnuts. A pressure cooker will save much of the cooking time. Follow instructions given with pressure cooker. in  any case allow to boil until tender. Add the other ingredients and  continue cooking for about half an hour. If the stew is still  watery at this stage reduce it by further cooking. taste for  sweetness and add more cocoa, if necessary.

Serve hot

Serves 4 – 5

Kwarezimal

Ingredients

200g blanched almonds

200g plain flour, sifted
250g caster or golden caster sugar

1 scant tsp cinnamon

Orange flower water

Grated rind of 1 lemon, 1 orange and 1 tangerine

honey and additional almonds

Method

Lightly toast the  almonds. Grind coarsely. Mix with the flour, sugar, cinnamon, rinds  and a little orange-flower water. Add just enough water to make a  stiff dough. Knead lightly until well amalgamated and shape into  ovals, approximately 17.5 cm long, 5 cm wide and 2 cm thick. Place  on greased and floured baking trays and bake at 190′C/375′F/gas 5  for about 20 minutes. While still hot, spread with honey and press  on the almonds

 

Carob Sweets – Karamelli tal-Ħarrub

 

Ingredients:

Carob Syrup – you can find how to make carob syrup under the Syrups & Broths page

Method :

Boil some carob syrup in a pot over fairly high heat and stir continuously until the mixture is dissolved, caramelised and reaches a hard-crack stage.

Pour onto a piece of glass or marble. Let cool and cut into small squares.

When cold the caramel hard toffee are wrapped in greased proof paper to avoid becoming sticky

 

Qaghaq tal-Ghasel

Ingredients

For the Filling: 

600g. treacle
150g. sugar
75g. jam
zest of lemon, orange and tangerine
50g. very finely chopped candied peel
pinch of  ground cloves
750ml water

250g semolina

For the Pastry: 

600g flour
2 egg yolks
50g margarine
water

Method

Put all the filling  ingredients (except the semolina) into a saucepan and bring to the  boil. After boiling thicken with semolina, adding only a little at  a time. Continue cooking tor a few seconds and leave to cool.

Rub the margarine into the flour, and bind with the  yolks and a little water. Leave the pastry to set for two hours  before using. Roll out the pastry into long strips of 8cm by 15cm .

Put some filling in the middle, the whole length of the pastry.  fold the pastry.

Now bring the two  ends of the pastry together to form a ring. sprinkle a baking sheet  with semolina, put the rings on the sheet and bake in a moderate  oven for 25 minutes. Before cooking, take a sharp knife and lash  the pastry in different places.

Qubbajt – Maltese nougat

Ingredients

800 g sugar

300 g roasted  almonds or hazelnuts ( or you can use sesame seeds)

1 tsp freshly powdered cinnamon

Method

Oil a shallow baking tray and line first with greaseproof, then a sheet of rice paper

Dissolve the sugar in 250 ml water over low heat in  a heavy saucepan, shaking but not stirring, boil to 154 c, lightly grease a marble or other  slab with a little oil mixed with water and spread the nuts over  it, sprinkle the cinnamon, then  pour the hot syrup turn and work the mixture with two  spatulas, when it starts to harden  spoon it into the rice paper case and leave to cool, remove the greaseproof and leave the
edilble paper

OR

Pistachio  Nougat/Turron

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1½ cups light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup water

2 egg whites

½ teaspoon pistachio flavour

oil

green food colouring

4 tablespoons butter

1½ cups toasted pistachio

Method

Prepare an 8 x 8 inch pan by covering it with non-stick aluminum foil or potato starch wafer both at the bottom  and on top. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and water in a  large saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved  and continue to cook until mixture reaches hard-ball stage, 120°C.
While mixture is cooking, place egg whites in large bowl of stand  mixer and whisk until they hold stiff peaks. When sugar syrup has  reached 120 degrees, remove from heat and slowly pour one  quarter of the mixture into the stiff egg whites, with the  mixer running constantly. Continue beating until the egg whites  hold its shape. Return the saucepan with the remaining syrup to the  stove and continue to cook over medium high heat until the mixture  reaches 150 degrees, or hard-crack stage.With the mixer running,  pour the remaining sugar syrup slowly into the egg mixture and  continue beating until mixture is thick and stiff. Add the  flavouring and a few drops of food coloring gel or paste to tint the  nougat a delicate green. Add the softened butter and beat  until the candy is very thick and satiny. Add the nuts last and  stir until combined. Spoon the nougat into the prepared pan and  press it smooth and evenly. Allow to set to room temperature and  cut into small squares to serve.

Pastizzi

Ingredients

For the Pastry 

400g. plain flour

½ tsp.salt

200 ml. cold water

125 – 50g. margerine , or lard , or butter

For Filling 

400g. rikotta

salt and pepper

3  eggs beaten

Method

Mix the sieved flour and salt with approximately  200ml. of cold water into a soft pliable but not sticky dough, knead well leave to rest for about 90  minutes.

When rested, roll stretch and pull the dough on a floured surface, into long  strips, spread half the fat over the entire lenth of dough, first with a palette knife then with  clean hands, take one end of the  dough and roll it up like a swiss roll, make it uneven turning it tightly sometimes then  more loosely, rest it in the fridge.

Repeat the rolling and  sometimes so that the roll is once more a long strip, spread the remaining fat, roll it up again  like a swiss roll this time in a different direction from the first roll, all these rolling enhance the flakiness of the finished pastry, rest it again.

Mash the rikotta with the  salt and pepper, add the beaten eggs, cut off pieces of dough the size
of a small ball with a sharp knife, pull out each piece with your fingers like a thin disc.

Place a spoonful of rikotta  mixture in the center, close the  dough around it and seal the edge with your fingers, place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and  bake on 200′c / 400′f /gas 6. for 25 minutes or till golden.

Best eaten hot You can use minced beef, peas and  onions, or anchovy, filling instead of rikotta

Prinjolata

Ingredients:

For the sponge

4 eggs

200g caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind

200g self-raising flour

For the prinjolata filling

1 tablespoon whisky

50g pine nuts, chopped and roasted

50g glace cherries, chopped

2 tablespoons chocolate chips

250g softened margarine

2 tablespoons icing sugar

1 tablespoon vermouth

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

For Decoration

Frosting /  Icing or 100 gr dessert topping mix or  250ml cream whipping

50 gr of whole pine-nuts

50 gr of halved candied cherries

50  gr of grated dark chocolate

Method:

Prep:30min › Cook:25min › Extra time:15min preserving › Ready in:1hr10min

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas 6.
2. For the sponge: Beat together using a mixer the eggs, sugar, vanilla essence and grated lemon rind for about 8 minutes or until a smooth soft mixture is formed.
3. Add the flour to the mixture and mix with a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture into a greased cake tin.
4. Bake the sponge until a skewer inserted near the centre comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool completely.
5. For the prinjolata filling: Break the sponge into very small pieces in a large bowl. Sprinkle the whiskey over the sponge pieces. Add the chopped pine nuts, glace cherries and chocolate bits; mix well.
6. Using a mixer, beat the margarine and sugar until a smooth mixture is formed.
7. Add the creamed mixture, vanilla extract and vermouth and beat together using a mixer.
8. Mould the mixture in the form of a dome and place on a plate.
9. To decorate: cover the prinjolata with the  frosting and put the whole pine-nuts, chocolate flakes and cherries  on the cream. Melt some chocolate and spread it over the prinjolata  for an added effect
10. Put the prinjolata in the fridge and  let it cool down for some 5 hours before you serve it.

Figolli

 Ingredients:

For the pastry

350 grams castor sugar

800 grams plain flour, sifted

400 grams butter

Grated rind of 1 lemon

4 egg yolks, beaten

Malta honey and pistachio nuts or additional almonds

For the almond paste

600 g castor or  icing sugar

2-3 egg whites

Grated rind of 1 lemon

A few drops orange flower water

600 grams almonds, ground

To finish Glacé icing:  Royal icing, Small Easter egg

Method:

To make the pastry mix the flour with the sugar,  then rub in butter until the mixture looks like fine crumbs. Add  the yolks and the grated lemon rind, then mix a little water to get  a workable dough. Leave the mixture to chill. Add the lemon rind  and orange flower water to the almonds and bind with the egg whites. Roll out the pastry mix and cut out the shapes you want.  When doing this cut two shapes for each figolla as they will be  sandwiched with the almond paste. Lay the first shape on a floured and greased baking tray, spread with the almond paste made  previously, leaving a small margin. Put the second shape on the  previous and press the edges together. It would help if you were to  wet the edges with a pastry brush to ensure binding. Bake at a  temperature of 200°C/400°F for five minutes and then at  180°C/350°F, for about 20 minutes until pale golden. Let to cool on  the tray. When cooled, coat with the glacé icing then decorate with  some royal icing in an other colour, but do not overdo it and make  it look gaudy. While the icing is soft push a foil-wrapped egg into  the pastry. If you are making human shapes it is traditional to put  the egg in the middle of the man’s or woman’s tummy. Then finish  with some ground almonds. Since ground almonds are quite expensive  some substitutes, such as tiny sugar-coated eggs can be used,  although these might not be as traditional.

Hobz ta’ San Martin

Ingredients:

400g plain flour

1 sachet instant yeast
75g margarine

75g Sugar

Few drops of Vanilla essence

250ml tepid milk

Glazing

50ml water

50g sugar

Method:

Mix well flour and Margarine then add  the yeast, sugar , vanilla, and stir well. Then add the tepid milk
to make dough and knead well by hand for around 10 to 15 minutes,  or until dough is elastic.

Leave to rise for around an  hour, (by then the dough would have doubled in size) then knead the  dough again until it becomes elastic once again. The shape into  small buns leaving enough space between the buns since these will  grow in size over the next hour. In the mean time prepare the glaze  by melting the sugar in the water until it becomes like a syrup.  Glaze the buns with the syrup and place in preheated oven for  around 20 minutes or until golden brown. Slight variations to this  recipe include, sprinkling the buns with sesame seeds and / or  sticking a liquorices in the middle of the bun.

Torta ta’ San Martin

Ingredients:

200 g Shelled Hazelnuts

200 g Shelled Walnuts

200 g Pitted Dates

2 Eggs Separated

2 tablespoons Milk

5  tablespoons Flour

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2tsp cinnamon

5  tablespoons Sugar

1 14cm square tin

Margarine for greasing

Handful  Whole Almonds to decorate

75 g Sultanas

50 g Candied Peel

100 g  Chopped Figs

Method:

Pre-heat the  oven to Gas Mk 4 /180c Grease the tin and sprinkle it with flour  shaking off any excess with an electric whisk beat the egg-whites  until they are fluffy Then add the yolks, sugar, flour and milk. Combine them well and then fold in the dates, figs, nuts, sultanas  and candied peel Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 30  minutes. Place some the almonds on top arranged in a circle. Don’t  let the pie cool in the oven. Bring it out, leave it in the tin for  ten minutes until it has steamed off and then  turn it onto a wire  rack to cool.

Maltese Trifle

Ingredients:

Custard

Fruit Gelatin or Fruit juice

Whipped cream

Vermouth

Sponge

biscuits or fingers

Method:

Place the cake in an even layer  at the bottom of a deep perspex bowl, sprinkle or brush with sweet  vermouth. The amount of vermouth you put will make a difference as  to how strong an alcohol taste in the finished trifle. I don’t mind  an extra sprinkle .  The spirit used can also The next  layer is made from custard. You can use lemon or chocolate or  strawberry custard, I normally put thin layers of cake between each  layer of custard just to make the trifle slightly heavier and keep  the different layer more separate. The size of your bowl will  determine how thick your layers need to be and how many layers you  will have. Fresh cream, or whipped cream are normally used to  decorate the last layer. You can use ricotta, using a mixture of  ricotta, nuts (hazel nuts and almonds- crushed), candied peel, and  candied cherries. The assembled Trifle is covered and placed in the  refrigerator for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours to allow the  flavours to mingle.

Biskuttini Tar-Rahal

Ingredients:

800g flour

800g sugar

6 eggs

Flavouring

Whole  cloves

Method:

Put the sugar in a  food processor and the eggs slowly, 1 every five minutes. Insert  the flour, flavouring and whole cloves. Bake in the oven at a  medium temperature for 15 minutes. Before serving place some icing on top.

Chocolate Coconut Balls

Ingredients:

50g grated milk chocolate

2 packets sweet plain biscuits crushed (I use morning coffee)

2 tbs cocoa

200ml sweeted condensed milk

Shredded coconut

Method:

You can crush biscuits by placing  them in a plastic bag and crushing them with a rolling pin Take all  the ingredients and place in a bowl, mix very well.

Take a  small amount of mixture and roll between your hands to form a ball  Dip the ball in coconut so it is covered in coconut flakes on all  sides Repeat this till you finish off all the  mixture

Christmas Log

Ingredients:

2 Packets biscuits plain (you can use Morning Coffee or Digestive)

1 large tin Condensed milk

100g Glace cherries

100g Walnuts

100g Candied peel

150g Hazelnuts and Almonds (crushed)

100g Bar Milk Chocolate

Some Brandy

Method:

Crush the  biscuits Chop the nuts (make sure they are roasted beforehand) Mix  all ingredients (except Bar Milk Chocolate) by hand in a large  bowl. Shape Mixture to form the log and wrap in a greaseproof paper. Put into the fridge and leave it for  12hours to harden. Remove the log shaped mixture from paper.  Melt the chocolate in a bowl over boiling water and cover to  decorate the Christmas log.- you can use flakes of hardened choc to  add texture to your Christmas log

Biskuttini tal-Lewz Morr

Ingredients:

400 g ground almonds

400g castor sugar

4  egg whites (beaten)

25ml almond essence (small bottle)

whole  almonds

Method:

Mix everything  together, till the sugar disappears, and the mixture gets sticky.  Roll into small balls, put on pan over rice paper, then put 1/2 blanched  almond or glace’ cherry on top. Bake at a temperature of 180C for  15 minutes if you like them soft, if you want them harder cook  longer.

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Apple Pie – Torta tat-Tuffieh

Ingredients:
250g cold butter, cut into small pieces
100g sugar
450-500 gr flour
2 eggs
1 sachet baking powder + lemon juice
lemon zest
salt

Filling
1.5 to 2 kilograme apples, peeled and grated
2-3 tablespoons of sugar for the apples
cinnamon

Method:
Combine flour, salt, and sugar and add butter – mix with your hands until mixture resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add the rest of the ingredients.

Gently shape the dough, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 min.

As you roll out the dough, check if the dough is sticking to the surface below. If necessary, add a few sprinkles of flour under the dough to keep the dough from sticking.

Gently press the pie dough down so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Add filling to the pie.

For the top of the pie you can cut some pieces of dough or cover all the pie.

A lovely coating for a pie can be achieved with a simple egg wash.

1 Tbsp heavy cream, half and half, or milk

1 large egg yolk

Beat the egg yolk with cream and brush on the surface of the pie with a pastry brush.

 

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TORTA TAL- LEWZ

Ingredients:

For the pastry

400g Plain flour

1/2 tsp Baking  powder

190g Margerine or  butter (STORK)

120g Caster sugar

Juice & rind 1 orange

1 Egg yolk

1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

For the  filling

600g Icing sugar

600g Pure ground almonds

8 Eggs

1/2 tsp  Vanilla essence

Rind 3  lemons

Method:

Sift together the   flour & baking powder.Add the sugar and margerine and  rub together till it forms crumbs Add the orange rind and juice ,  egg yolk and essence and mix to a smooth dough.

Refridgerate before using. Use the pastry to line a cake tin  sized 31 x 24cm or 12x 9 1/2 inch. Bake for 1hour 15 minutes at a  temperature of 150°c

For the filling
Mix together to just incorporate all the ingredients together ( do  not over mix ) then place into the pastry case. If you wish, you  can add whole cherries , almonds or candied peel into this mixture  too. Bake for 1hour 15 minutes, at 150°c. Cool and leave for one  day before decorating.

OR

Ingredjenti

800g ghagina helwa

600g intrita

400g zokkor

100g lewz imfarrak shih

6 abjad tal-bajd

Qoxra ta lumija mahkuka

Likur li tiggosta abjad

Chestnut Pie – Torta tal-Qastan

Ingredients

400g. dried chestnuts

75g sultanas

600g sweet pastry

25g drinking chocolate

100g sugar

pinch cinnamon and cloves

Method

Wash chestnuts carefully. Soak in plenty of water for 10 hours. Put all other ingredients in the pan and bring to the boil. Continue cooking till the chestnuts are soft.

Pass through a sieve. Add just a few spoons of the cooking liquid  to the pastry, put in the mixture, and cover the top with strips of  pastry. Bake in a hot oven.till golden

Helwa tat-Tork

Ingredients:

100g white sugar

130g light tahini (sesami paste)

6 Tbls. water

vanilla

whole roasted almonds

Method:

On a low heat dissolve the sugar in the water in a thick-bottomed pan. Stir to  dissolve but stop one its starts boiling. Boil until sugar  thermometer shows 140 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile in a heat proof bowl mix the tahini, vanilla and almonds. As soon as the  temperature of the sugar and water reaches 140 degrees Celsius,  pour this on the tahini mix. As you’re doing this stir very  well. In a very short while it will harden into a thick confection.  Transfer to an airtight container and leave to cool. Some sesame oil may ooze out of the helwa but this does not impair in any way  the marvelous taste.

Pasta Rjali

Ingredients:

1 Lb Almonds
1/2 Lb Sugar
2 Lemons
3 Egg whites
1/2 Cup Sugar for glazing (put it in a flat plate for rolling)
Silver mini dragees

Method:
To prepare the paste, boil the almonds and remove the peel.

Once they are cold and somewhat dry, put them in a food processor or a blender and chop them finely.

Put the chopped almonds in a bowl, add the zest of the two lemons, the sugar and egg whites.
Mix until the egg whites dilute the sugar and the mixture becomes a paste.
Take a lump of mixture in your hand, roll it into a ball the size slightly smaller than a golf ball.

Roll the ball completely into the sugar and place it on a baking sheet.
Slightly insert a silver ball on top of each ball/cookie.

Bake for 30 mins. at 375F

 

Pasta Frolla – Almond Fingers

Pastry:

Mix
350g plain flour,
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda,
175g sugar, zest of one lemon/orange,
add 175g of margerine and mix till mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add two egg yolks, some vanilla essence and add a few tbs of water to form a soft dough.

Refridgerate for at least one hour.

Filling:
Mix 175g pure ground almonds,
75g sugar,
2 egg whites,
juice of half a lemon;
mix well.

Line a dish with baking paper. Cut into fingers and sandwich pieces of pastry with the almond filling in the middle. Place the cut pieces on the dish. Bake for around 30 minutes on 150 (fan electric oven). Cool and cover with pink (mix 300g icing sugar with 2 tbs warm water and colour) or chocolate glace icing (just add 2 tbs of cocoa powder to the icing mix).

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Ghadam tal-Mejtin

Ingredients:

For the pastry
500 gr flour
150 gr butter
200 gr sugar
75 mls water
1 egg

Filling
200 gr ground almonds
200 gr sugar
Ground cinnamon
Lemon & Orange zest
1 egg white

Method

Prepare the pastry; rub  with the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Dilute the sugar with the egg & water; pour onto the flour mixture & knead into soft pliable dough.

For the filling, knead all the ingredients together into fairly stiff dough.
To prepare the pastries; flatten the pastry on a lightly floured surface with the palm of your hands into a rectangular shape. Roll the filling into a thick roll and place in the centre of the pastry. Fold the sides to cover the filling and press to seal the filling.

Roll again and flatten slightly. Cut into 3 cm. thick slices. Roll the centre of the slice to obtain a cylindrical shape with thicker edges. Pinch the sides so that to obtain a bone effect.

Bake at a temp of 175°c for approx 25min. Allow to cool before brushing with white chocolate to decorate.

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Sinizza

Ingredients

sweet shortcrust pastry.
cooked sponge cake
400g ricotta
60g candied cherries
80g sugar
vanilla essence
grated lemon rind
apricot jam
1 egg beaten
white liqueur

Method

1. Prepare the pastry. Grease a loaf tin or else line it with baking paper. If you will be using baking paper, it will be easier if before lining the tin you wet it slightly. On a lightly floured surface roll it out quite thinly and line a loaf tin with it. You have to leave some pastry for the top.
2. Slice thin slices of sponge cake and spread some apricot jam on them.
3. Use these slices to cover the bottom and sides of the pastry, jam side facing the pastry
4. Put the ricotta in a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and liqueur. Mix well till you have a creamy texture.
5. Quarter the cherries and add them together with the vanilla essence and the grated lemon rind to the ricotta mixture. Mix well.
6. Slice some more slices of sponge cake.
7. Preheat the oven Gas Mark 4/1800C.
8. Fill the loaf tin with the ricotta mixture. Smooth the top and cover it with the sponge cake slices. Spread some more jam on them.
9. Moisten the edges of the pastry with a little water. Cover with the remaining pastry. Seal well and trim the edge
10. Make some slits in the top and brush with beaten egg and bake for around 60 minutes in the preheated oven.
11. Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin and slicing it.

 

 

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Qagħaq tal-Ġunġlien (Maltese Biscuit Rings with Sesame Seeds)

Ingredients
250g plain flour
100g sugar
7g baking powder
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Pinch ground aniseed
Pinch ground cloves
85g butter, at room temperature, cut into cubes
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
3 tablespoons water
Grated lemon rind
Grated orange rind
Sesame seeds

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
In a mixing bowl mix flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and spices, add the butter and rub into the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.
In a separate bowl crack the egg, add the oil, water and lemon and orange rinds and mix them well.
Add to the flour/butter mixture and mix by hand until you get a soft dough. Shape into a ball.
Put the sesame seeds in a plate.
Dust your hands with flour and get some dough (about the size of a golf ball) and roll into a long fingerlike shape, carefully place the dough into the sesame seeds and turn slowly to coat. Shape into a ring and transfer to a buttered and floured baking tray.
Bake for about 20 minutes. Let cool down and serve.