Title: Figolli (Maltese Easter Biscuits)
Categories: Cookies
Yield: 10 Cookies
500 g Plain flour (3-1/2 c)
320 g Pure icing sugar; sifted
2 Lemons
250 g Unsalted butter; cold
3 Egg yolks
2 dr Orange blossom water
250 g Marzipan
10 sm Easter eggs
2 Egg whites
640 g Pure icing sugar; sifted
Red and black food colouring
These marzipan-filled biscuits have been made for centuries in Malta,
traditionally eaten on Easter Sunday. The bunny shape is a popular
modern touch, but you can use any shape of biscuit cutter.
Place flour, icing sugar, baking powder, and lemon zest in a food
processor and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture
resembles fine crumbs. Add egg yolks and orange blossom water and
process until mixture just comes together. Turn out onto a clean work
surface, shape into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for
2 hours.
Divide pastry in half. Roll out one sheet between two pieces of baking
paper to 2 mm thick. Using a 10 cm decorative biscuit cutter, cut out
10 biscuits. Repeat with remaining pastry to create 20 in total.
Place on lined oven trays and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 170°C. Roll out marzipan to 1 mm thick and, using
the same biscuit cutter, cut out 10 shapes. Place marzipan on top of
10 of the pastry shapes, then cover each with a remaining pastry
shape. Press gently to seal. Return to lined trays and place in the
oven. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to
cool completely.
To make icing, whisk egg whites and icing sugar together until thick
and smooth. If desired, remove 1/2 cup icing, divide into two bowls
and colour with food colouring, mixing until evenly coloured. Spoon
into a piping bag fitted with a 2 mm plain nozzle and pipe around
outside of biscuits to create an outline. Set aside for 30 minutes to
set. Spoon plain icing onto biscuits to fill inside outline.
Alternatively, just coat biscuits in plain icing. Press an Easter egg
in centre of biscuit and set aside for 2 hours to set.
