DATES STUFFED WITH MARZIPAN
These sweet bites regularly appear during the Christmas festivities in most Maltese houses. They are very simple and quick to make.
400g good quality dates
200g ground almonds
1 cup icing sugar
1 egg white
few drops almond essence
red and green food colouring
Make the marzipan by combining ground almonds and sugar in a bowl. Make well in centre and add the egg whites. Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined, then add the almond essence.
Divide the marzipan into portions and add just one drop each of food colouring to obtain pink and light green marzipan.
Split the dates lengthwise, remove the stone and stuff with the marzipan. Roll each stuffed date in caster sugar and place in a small frilly paper case. Display on a plate covered with a paper doily and serve.
IMBULJUTA
Do you remember the good old days when a bowl full of chestnuts swimming in a delicious chocolate drink was a welcome hot delicacy eaten with the family after midnight Mass? If not – here is the recipe for you to enjoy this year.
400g dried chestnuts
2 tbsp cocoa powder
200g sugar
rind of 1 tangerine, finely chopped
pinch of ground cinnamon or cloves
Wash the chestnuts and soak overnight. Drain and remove any bits of brown skin as much as possible. Put the chestnuts in a pot, cover with plenty of water and bring to the boil. Lower the flame and cook until the chestnuts are tender. This will take about 45 minutes. Halfway through cooking time, add all the other ingredients. Ladle out the chestnuts into small bowls, cover with the chocolate liquid and serve hot.
QAGHAQ TAL-GHASEL
This recipe is quite an old one, given to me by Josephine Leaver. I have faithfully stuck to it with excellent results. The filling has to be made the day before and assembling these honey rings requires time and patience. Indeed, making qaghaq tal-ghasel is a labour of love!
What you need
For the pastry:
300g flour
100g margarine or butter
50g sugar
50g semolina
Water to bind
For the filling:
1 cup treacle or honey
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1.5 cups semolina
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
Half a teaspoon bicarbonate
Juice and rind of 1 orange
Half a tablespoon butter
Half a tot anisette
1 tsp orange flower water
What to do
For the filling:
Place all ingredients except the semolina in a large saucepan. Slowly bring to the boil and then add the semolina little by little, stirring all the time to avoid lumps from forming. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture thickens. Transfer to a bowl and let it stand for about 12 hours or overnight.
For the pastry:
Sift the flour, add the sugar and semolina and rub in the margarine or butter. Slowly add enough cold water to bind and knead until you get a soft, pliable dough. Let the pastry rest for at least 30 minutes before using.
To make the honey rings:
Roll out the pastry and cut into 10cm by 18cm strips. Roll out the filling into sausage shapes and place along the middle of the pastry strips. Wet the edges of the pastry and fold over the filling. Bring the two ends together to form the rings. Dust a baking tray with semolina and place the rings on the tray. Make small slashes with a sharp knife all around the top of the rings. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 190°C for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the pastry is a pale golden colour.
More Maltese recipes will be carried tomorrow.
