Today I use Renato Briffa’s old fashioned recipe for Kwarezimal.  This is another recipe that was used by his father in the bakery that his family owned in Old Mint Street, Valletta in the 50s.  There are many versions of Kwarezimal as each family seem to have their own special recipe.  I use Almond and Honey Cookies by Devon to make the biscuit crumbs as they complement the taste of the Kwarizemal. 

You will need:
500g ground almonds
500g Devon Honey and Almond Cookie Crumbs
750g Sugar (you can reduce the sugar and use stevia)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
A few drops vanilla extract
2 drops orange flower water
A pinch of mixed spice
A pinch of cinnamon powder
Eggs (enough to form a dough, usually about 4)
100g whole roasted almonds

To decorate: 100ml honey and 300g Nibbed Almonds (Roasted).

Mix all the ingredients together leaving the amonds whole. Form a dough. Weigh out individual portions of 100 g per kwarezimal biscuit. Form cylinderical shapes and place them on an oven dish covered with baking paper.

Flatten then out slightly and use a knife to make diagonal indents in the kwarezimal. Bake in a preheated oven at180C for 12 minutes. Brush with warm honey and sprinkle some roasted nibbed almonds.

You can follow Lea’s blog on www.goodfoodeveryday.wordpress.com and watch her cook on TVM2. More of her recipes can be found on www.timesofmalta.com.