In honour of this beautiful lady, and to channel my sons heritage, I decided for Easter I would make Maltese Figolli for them.
Figolli is a traditional Maltese Easter biscuit, which is cut into shapes and decorated in colourful icing. Topped with an Easter Egg, Figolli is given as an Easter present, my boys always were given one from their Maltese Grandparents every year.
I had been given the Figolli recipe years ago, but of course when I decided to use it, I couldn't find it, so I had to turn to trusty old Google for help.
After checking out quite a few recipes, pretty much all similar, I decided to combine two of the recipes and come up the the following:
For the biscuit
800g Plain Flour
225g Caster Sugar
400g butter
3 eggs
vanilla essence
I combined the flour, sugar and butter in a food processor, before adding the eggs and a couple of drops of vanilla essence to taste, mixing to a firm dough. Let dough sit for about half an hour and prepare the filling.
For the filling
1 egg white
1/4 cup sugar
70 g almond meal
Beat the egg white, adding sugar, until light and fluffy, fold in almond meal.
Roll out the biscuit until about 1cm thick, cut two shapes* the same size, on one shape, spread some of the filling (desired amount), put the other shape on top and press the edges together.
Repeat, making different shapes, until the dough is all used up.
Place on baking paper and bake for about 25-30 mins** in 180C oven, or until golden brown.
When cool, ice with your preferred icing and top with and Easter Egg.
* - you can buy figolli cutters, or make shapes out of cardboard and use as a stencil
**- cooking time depends on oven and thickness of biscuit.
Figolli
Another treat I made this Easter were Hot Cross Buns, why buy them when you can make them.
Just find a recipe, (I used the Donna Hay Classics 2 cookbook recipe), I deleted the fruit and added choc bits to half the recipe and left the other half just plain.
They turned out so light and fluffy, I was so proud of myself.
Hot Cross Buns
Easter is a time of too much food, too much chocolate and spending time with family, remembering loved ones we have lost along the way, and cherishing the time we have with the ones we love.
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter.
BB
