Figolla is a traditional maltese sweet recipe prepared for the easter holidays. Figolli are made of sweet pastries filled up with almond paste and usually cut out in various shapes such as hearts, bunnies etc… Finally the figolli are usually decorated with chocolate and icing sugar and topped up with a chocolate egg.

Ingredients

Pastry	Almond Filling	Decorating
1350 grams flour	300 grams ground almonds	White / Milk Chocolate
510 grams margarine	300 grams ground almond substitute	Colourful Hundreds and thousands
510 grams sugar	600 grams sugar	11 small chocolate eggs
1 1/2 lemon zest	3 egg whites
6 eggs	100ml water
1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla	1 1/2 tablespoons almond flavour
2 teaspoons baking powder

 

This recipe covers the ingredients for 11 figolli, divide or multiply the ingredients according to how much figolli you want to make. My family usually make a lot of figolli because it is a tradition to give a figolla to each and every family member and friends at Easter.

Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the baking powder, cut the margarine into small cubes and add it to the flour. Rub the margarine into the flour with your fingertips until it gets a breadcrumb texture. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix well with the flour mixture.  In a separate bowl whisk the egg until small bubbles start to form and slowly pour into the mixture.  Add the vanilla essence and knead the mixture until you obtain a smooth dough.  Cover up in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

 

While the dough is resting prepare the almond paste, combine the ground almonds, almond substitute and sugar.  In a seperate bowl whisk the egg whites and pour it with the almond mixture.  Add the vanilla essence and beat until all the ingredients are incorporated.  At this stage you will have a very dry paste.  Slowly add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and blend well after each pour.  Continue to add water until you get a smooth but firm paste.  Do not add to much water or the paste will be too liquid and will sip between the dough whilst cooking.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius and prepare the buttered baking sheets.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of around 0.3cm.  Cut out the shape from the dough to use as the base for the figolla.  Put the cut out pastry on a buttered baking sheet,  spread the almond pastry at the center of the dough leaving 0.5cm from the edges.  Use a brush to wet the edges of the pastry, the water helps to seal the pastry.  Cut out another dough the same shape as the base and place it on top.  Slightly press the edges of the figolla so that it doesn’t open up during baking.

Place the figolla in the oven and let it bake for around 30 minutes or until it gets a lightly golden color.  Do not over cook or the pastry will become to firm.  With the left over pastry you can do small cookies and bake and use as tasters.  Let the figolla cool down before covering with melted chocolate and colorful hundreds and thousands.  While the chocolate is still wet place a chocolate egg at the center of the figolla and let it dry.