Tradtional Maltese Easter Figolli

Figolli are a traditional Easter dessert made from a biscuit pastry with an almond filling. Typically they are decorated with icing or chocolate. Most figolli are given a shape, in the past this used to be an Easter related shape however nowadays shapes vary from fish, baskets, heart shapes and many others. In my family we also had Garlfield's face as a standard shape! We used to bake these every year with my mum when young and nowadays even though I don't prepare them on a yearly basis anymore I still use the same recipe that we used back then.

Ingredients:

Pastry:

• 800 grams plain flour
• 1.5 packets margarine (roomboter)
• 2 eggs
• 250 grams sugar
• 1 lemon juice and peel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Filling:

• 400 grams pure almonds
• 400 grams sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond essence
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice (Specific ingredients vary from brand to brand but typical components are(1/4 tbsp cinnamon, 1/4 tbsp nutmeg, 1/4 tbsp allspice, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 tsp mace, 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
• 1 orange juice and peel

Design

• 2 big milk/dark chocolate
• A couple of easter eggs

Icing Design

• 225-250 grams sieved icing sugar
• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Method:

General Directions:

1. Prepare pastry and leave for 2 hours or overnight;
2. Mix filling ingredients together;
3. Prepare figolli design;
4. Cook at 180 degrees;
5. Once cool, melt chocolate and cover pastry;
6. Once dried add icing design.

Preparing the pastry:

1. Mix the margarine and sugar until the mixture turns whitish in colour;
2. Add the flour, eggs, lemon juice, lemon peal and vanilla essence;
3. Continue mixing until the pastry is of the right consistency. If the pastry is still sticky add some more flour. If the pastry is very dry add a teaspoon of water;
4. Leave to rest.

Preparing the filling:

1. Crush the almonds into powder consistency;
2. Mix all ingredients together.

Icing directions:

1. Beat the egg white;
2. Add lemon juice and icing sugar bit by bit;
3. It should now be smooth and shiny;
4. Make sure the icing is not very wet and can keep a given shape;
5. Add more icing sugar if icing is very wet.

Assembly:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius;
2. Roll the pastry to around 3 mm consistency;
3. Cut into desired shape. This will be the base of the figolla;
4. Cut more pastry in the same identical shape. If possible cut it 5 mm bigger than the base;
5. Place a 1 cm layer of filling on top of the base;
6. Keep the filling around 1 cm away from all borders;
7. Wet the border of the base with water;
8. Cover the base and filling with the top pastry layer;
9. Press the top and bottom pastries together at the borders;
10. Place in oven and cook until the pastry has a bit of colour;



11. Melt chocolate;
12. Cover the shaped figolla with the melted chocolate;





13. Let dry completely;
14. Once dry decorate with the icing sugar.