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Traditional Maltese Recipies.
FIGOLLI
You can do them in all kinds of shapes you fancy, the children and grown ups
look forward for this kind of sweet.
Ingredients
For the pastry
350 grams caster sugar
800 grams plain flour, sifted
400 grams butter
Grated rind of 1 lemon
4 egg yolks, beaten
For the almond paste
600 g caster or icing sugar
2-3 egg whites
Grated rind of I lemon
A few drops orange flower water
600 grams almonds, ground
The icing
Glacé icing
Royal icing
Small Easter eggs
Method
Make the pastry by mixing the sugar with the flour, then rubbing in the
butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Add the grated lemon rind and the yolks, mixed with a little water to make a
dough.
Leave to chill. Add the sugar, orange flower water and lemon rind to the
ground almonds, and bind with the egg whites.
Roll out the pastry and cut out your shapes. Make two of each figure as they
will be sandwiched with almond paste.
Lay the first shape on a greased and floured baking tray, spread with almond
paste, leaving a small margin.
Lay the second shape over the top and press the edges together. It helps if
you wet the edges with a pastry brush to stick Bake at 200'C/400'F/gas 6 for
5 minutes, then at 180'C/350'F/gas 4, for about 20 minutes, until pale
golden. Cool on the tray.
Decorate
When cold, coat with glacé icing, then decorate with royal icing in a
different colour,
While the icing is soft, press a small, foil-wrapped Easter egg in the
middle of each shape.
(kindly provided by member: oxat15)
DATE DIAMONDS (Imqaret)
Ingredients (For the pastry)
400g flour
75g sugar
pinch baking powder
100g margarine
1 egg
For the Flling
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.
Kindly provided by member: oxat15
Here is a selection of recipies for home made ricotta cheese which many people living abroad often look for.
A big Thank You! To the kind members of www.searchmalta.com for their ideas.
No. 1
Riccotta Cheese
To make ricotta cheese warm 1 gallon of goat's milk utill it reaches 206 degrees fht. It should be foamy and frothy but not boiling. Turn off the heat and stir in 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar and stir for about 30 secs as the ricotta curds precipitate from the whey. Allow to sit undisturbed for a minute or so, then drain into a cheese cloth/collendar (save the whey) for several minutes until most of the whey has left. Place the curds in a bowl along with 4 tablespoons of margarine and 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, this will neutralize the vinegar, then mix together well. Your ricotta is done, now you can add eggs, origano, basil, salt, garlic, pepper etc to your taste.
No. 2
3litres of milk
500 mls whole cream
one small lemon or Half a large one
2 tbsp Vinegar
Bring milk and cream to boil add rest of ingredients stir wait till milk curds appear. Take of heat let rest for 5 mins strain and Bon appetite.
Easy But It really works
No.3
This the simplest recipe ever, provided you can obtain some non polluted sea-water. All you have to do is fill a container with sea-water and bring to the boil. Meanwhile have your milk ready - pasteurised, skimmed liquid, fresh, anything - and add it to the boiling sea-water. Let it boil for a few minutes until you see that the milk is curdling. Let cool and strain the ricotta.
P.S. When I make my own I use fresh milk and add to it some powdered skimmed milk to increase its bulk.
No. 4
Making Ricotta is very simple. Over direct heat, heat the hard cheese whey to 200° (sometimes I accidentally heat it over 200° with no ill effects). By the time it has reached this temperature you will see very tiny white particles (the albumin protein) floating in the whey. The heat and acid from the ripe whey has precipitated the protein. You can add a little vinegar at this point if you really think it necessary (one "glug" or 1/4 C. per 2 gallons of whey), it's up to you, and it won't hurt the Ricotta.
Line a colander with very fine cheesecloth, called "butter muslin". You must use a very fine cloth here, or your cheese will pass through the regular cloth. If you do not have fine cheesecloth, use a clean cotton cloth (like a pillow case). Place the colander over a big pot so you can save the whey and carefully pour the whey into the colander. Be very careful because the liquid is hot. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth together and hang the ricotta to drain for a couple hours.
When it has drained, place the ricotta in a bowl and add salt to taste. You will find that the Ricotta made from the whey of different cheeses has different tastes and textures. I think Mozzarella makes the best. Feta makes the strongest tasting (the taste increases as it ages in the fridge). Ricotta will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
No.5
Whole Milk Ricotta
While it isn't "traditional" it is nice to be able to make ricotta out of plain 'ol milk you can buy at the store. This is the first cheese I ever made. I started making it quite a bit after I realized that making my own Ricotta with store bought milk was cheaper (and more fun) than buying Ricotta at the store. This "Ricotta" will be drier and not as smooth and creamy as the traditional "real" Ricotta. It tastes great and can be used as a ricotta substitute is most receipts.
In a heavy pot, over direct heat, heat 2 quarts of whole milk to 200° (sometime I accidentally heat it to boiling). Add 3 Tablespoons of white vinegar or 1/4 Cup of fresh, strained lemon juice. Make sure to bring the temperature back up to 200*. You will see very tiny white particles (the albumin protein) floating in the whey. The heat and acid from the ripe whey has precipitated the protein.
Remove the pot from the heat and set it, covered, to rest undisturbed for about 15 minutes.
Line a colander with very fine cheesecloth, called "butter muslin". You must use a very fine cloth here, or your cheese will pass through the regular cloth. If you do not have fine cheesecloth, use a clean cotton cloth (like a pillow case). Place the colander over a big pot so you can save the whey and carefully pour the whey into the colander. Be very careful because the liquid is hot. Tie the ends of the cheesecloth together and hang the ricotta to drain for an hour or so (the longer you hand it, the "drier" your finished cheese will be.
When it has drained, place the ricotta in a bowl, break up, stir and add salt to taste (1/4 tsp.- 1/2 tsp.). This Ricotta will keep for about a week in the fridge.
Kwarezimal
Ingredients
200 grams blanched almonds
200 grams plain flour, sifted
250 grams caster or golden caster sugar
1 scant tsp cinnamon
Orange flower water
Grated rind of 1 lemon, 1 orange and 1 tangerine
Malta honey and pistachio nuts or additional almonds
Method
This is the proper recipe try it and you'l love it.
This is made during Lent and contains no fat or eggs, although the Lenten fast is no longer adhered to. The word kwarezimal refers to quaresima, literally the quadragesima, the forty days of Lent.
Lightly toast or roast 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 Malta honey and press on chopped, unsalted pistachio nuts or chopped roasted almonds or hazel nuts. The only honey which resembles the exquisite Malta honey is Greek Hymettus, from the mountain of that name. It is now extremely difficult to obtain the real Malta honey (which is flavoured with wild thyme) despite what the label (and the vendors) say.
Baked Macaroni
Timpana
Ingredients
1lb. short pastry
1lb. macaroni
1 lb. minced beef
8 oz. peeled tomatoes
1 small chopped onion
4 oz. grated cheese
4 oz. tomato paste
1/4 pt. water
3 hard boiled eggs
4 beaten eggs
2 tsp.dried basil
olive oil
salt and pepper
Method
Fry the onion, add the basil, add the minced beef fry till it is cooked. Add
the tomatoes and the tomato paste.
Cook for a few seconds. Slowly add the water and simmer till the beef is
tender.
Boil the macaroni, drain and cool. Chop the hard boiled eggs. Mix everything
and season. Roll the pastry into a greased dish.
Pour the mixture and cover with the pastry. Brush the top with egg wash.
Cook in a moderate to hot oven.
Serve hot or cold
PS . If you prefer to do it without the pastry you can and still taste as
good.
Enjoy
From oxat15,
Cheers.
