Gozitan Ftira

Gozo, Malta's sister island, produces this lovely, mouth watering pizza! You cannot visit Gozo and not try one of these amazing ftiras!


Ingredients

Maltese Bread Dough (or regular pizza dough)
Thinly sliced potatoes (semi boiled)
Tomato Sauce
Mozzarella
Sausage
Bacon
Onions
Parsley
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper





Roll dough out as if you are preparing a pizza from scratch. Add the ingredients and top with the thin slices of potato. Drizzle some olive oil, salt, pepper and parsley on top. Fold the edges inwards (like in the picture) and bake on a pizza stone in a 400 degree oven.

Bziezen tal-krema (Fresh Cream Donuts)

Who doesn't remember these delicious doughnuts that every grocery store/confectionary in Malta used to sell early in the morning?

Ingredients

• 100g sugar
• 500g  plain flour
• Pinch of Salt 
• 10 grams dry yeast
• 60g unsalted butter, melted
• 250ml lukewarm milk
• 100ml lukewarm water
• Icing Powder for dusting 

Put all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl except the yeast. In a separate bowl mix the melted butter, yeast, water and milk and pour on the dry ingredients, mixing and kneading into a dough for about 10 minutes until elastic and smooth. Place dough in a plastic bowl, cover with greased cling film and leave to rise for about 60 minutes. Punch the dough down, knead for a few minutes and cover again for 60 minutes. Afterwards, divide into equal portions, shaping each portion into long bun shapes. Cover and let rise until double in size. 

Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. When cooled, make a slit in the middle and spread some strawberry jam in the middle. Pipe (or spray) fresh cream. If using fresh cream, beat until stiff before piping down or else you can use Ready Whip from a a can. Drizzle some more strawberry jam on top of the cream and dust with icing sugar :)

Traditional Maltese Ice-Cream

Remember that ice-cream that used to be served in weddings and holy communion receptions? Here's the recipe!

As usual me and my friend Georgina became obsessed with recreating this old time favorite ice-cream! Unlike gbejniet, this took only a couple of days to achieve!

Ingredients

2 cans evaporated milk
100g sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 rind of a lemon grated
1/4 cup heave cream.
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Handful of peanuts
Optional - candid peel

Put 1 can of milk, sugar, cinnamon and lemon rind in a pot, bring to boil and let simmer for 10 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a sieve into a stainless steel bowl and discard the lemon rind and the cinnamon stick.

Mix in the other can of milk, cream and vanilla.

Chill in the freezer for half an hour.

If using an ice-cream maker, pour the chilled mixture in the ice cream maker and let it churn away!

Alternatively you can do it the old fashioned way ... by beating the ice cream with a spatula every 20 minutes.

Serve with crushed peanuts and candid peel.

Sugar Free Yuletide Christmas Log

It is not Christmas in Malta without the traditional Yuletide Christmas Log! This walnut packed log is super easy to make and requires no baking! The original recipe calls for regular cookies and condensed milk. A few years ago I came across a similar recipe to the one I posted below for diabetics*. Over the years I have modified it and made it my own and my dad loves it!


Ingredients

1lb Sugar Free Plain Cookies (like plain shortbread)
8oz pitted Dates
1 cup Milk
1/4 cup orange juice
8 oz Chopped walnuts
2 oz dried cherries
2 tbl Cocoa Powder
1 bar unsweetened baking chocolate (to decorate with)

Method

Put the cookies in a zip lock bag and crush with a kitchen hammer.

In a small pot, dissolve the dates with the milk and orange juice until you have a thick paste.

Using the largest bowl you have in your kitchen, dump all of the ingredients in it and knead.

On a clean surface, roll out a long piece of cling film and place the mixture at the center of it. Shape the mixture into a log, making sure to press and pack it all in so as not to leave any air bubbles inside. Let rest in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

Melt some chocolate and pour it over the top. Using a fork, make horizontal streaks as the chocolate is setting to create a grain pattern. Store in refrigerator.

*Always consult with your physician if you have diabetes about food guidelines and sugar intake. Dried fruit can have a substantial amount of sugar.

Peach Crumble

Ingredients

6 Large Peaches
1 cup sweetener

1 cup Almond Meal
1 cup Sweetner
1 tbl Cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup walnuts

Method :

Peel the peaches and slice into uneven slices. Sprinkle with sweetener and let macerate for about half an hour.

In the meantime combine the dry ingredients well and add a beaten egg to the mixture until it resembles course breadcrumbs.

Melt the butter and pour it over the peaches. Top with the crumble mixture and bake for 40 minutes in a 375 degree oven.

*For a regular Peach Crumble, use flour instead of Almond meal and sugar instead of sweetener. 

Strawberry Cheese Cake (No bake)

Ingredients

Base :

9 oz walnuts, pecans or almonds
4tbs melted butter or 4 tbs honey

Filling :

16 oz cream-cheese (2 packages)
1 cup Sugar Free Cool Whip
16 oz Strawberries (sliced)
1 package Gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup Splenda (or any other sweetener)

Method

Place the nuts in a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin (or process through food processor). Add the butter or honey and press into a 9"backing pan. I like to line up the baking pan with wax paper in order to be able to lift up the cheesecake when cold. Cover with cling film and put in the refrigerator to chill.

In a small bowl, mix the sweetener, gelatin and 1 cup boiling water. Whisk well and put in the freezer to chill quickly.

In a large mixing bowl, put the cream cheese and the cool whip and beat on medium speed. While doing that, slowly add the strawberries, setting aside a handful for decoration. Take out the gelatin bowl from the freezer and pour over the mixture. Beat the mixture of medium speed for a good 5 minutes.

Take out the 9" baking pan from the fridge and layer the mixture on top of the nuts. Decorate with strawberries and chill for about 6 hours before serving.

Maltese Sausage

Ingredients

4.5lbs of pork butt or shoulder (ground) (or 3.5lb minced pork and 1lb of pork fat)
1-1.5 oz black pepper*
0.5-1oz coriander seeds*
1-2oz sea salt
10 garlic cloves minced
Bunch of parsley finely chopped

Method (for KitchenAid users)

Rinse the hog casings in hot water from the salt and let them sit in a bowl of hot water for about 20 minutes. Run water through the casings after they soften and become pliable.

Grind the pork twice. Mix all the meat with half the amount of herbs and spices stated. Test the flavor by frying up a small patty and keep on adding the herbs and salt as desired. Do not add all of the salt from the beginning; you might find it too salty and you'll have to throw everything away.

Take one casing, tie at knot at the end and insert in the large sausage tube attachment, all the way in. Put the kitchen aid on speed 3-4 and you're all set to start stuffing the sausages. Keep a toothpick nearby, air might get trapped and you'd need to pierce the casing every now and then to release the trapped air.

Method (for non KitchenAid users)

In a food processor combine the pork fat and the minced pork, set on high speed and grind for about a minute or two. Mix half of the herbs, spices and salt and test the flavor by frying up a small patty.  Keep on adding the herbs and salt as desired. Do not add all of the salt from the beginning; you might find it too salty and you'll have to throw everything away.

If you are using hog casings you'll need a funnel. Stuff as per method above.

If you are not using hog casings, simply shape sausages by hand and freeze. If you cook them while frozen they will not fall apart.