Kwarezimal recipe ｜ With Easter approaching, take out your baking tools and lets make some Kwarezimal!
So what are Kwarezimal? Kwarezimal is a traditional Maltese biscuit also known as Lenten biscuits since they are typically enjoyed during Lent. Lent is the 40 days leading to Easter, a time of sacrifice and repentance. Since Kwarezimal is considered halfway between sweet and savoury, they have been the accepted treat during this time. So go ahead and treat yourself to this recipe.
The rich flavour of the Kwarezimal comes from the mixture of spices and essences, combining to give the perfect concoction to make you want to have yet another bite (or a hundred!).
Kwarezimal tends to be a little crunchy on the outside but has a chewy soft centre and looks so dainty with the melted honey and nuts on top. Regarding the method, it’s a really easy recipe, so they can even be baked as a family activity getting the kids busy.
It’s such a pity that Kwarezimal only makes their appearance during the period of Easter. But here’s the recipe to make your homemade batch, and we promise we won’t tell anyone if you plan to make them all year round!
Ingredients:
350g pure ground almonds 150g plain flour (more if needed) 250g caster sugar 1 tbsp cocoa powder 1 tsp mixed spice ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground cloves ½ tsp ground nutmeg Zest from 1 lemon and 2 oranges 2 medium eggs at room temperature 2tsp almond liqueur or anisette 1tsp orange blossom water (ilma zahar) 2 tsp Vanilla essence 1tsp almond essence Honey Crushed roasted pistachios and almonds for topping
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
In a large bowl whisk the dry ingredients together ( ground almonds, flour, sugar, cocoa powder and spices).
In another bowl mix the rest of the ingredients except for the honey and roasted nuts.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and slow the wet ingredients, continuously stirring until a dough consistency is achieved.
Knead the dough and divide into 6 equal balls. Roll and elongate to form cylinders. They will flatten out on their own whilst baking.
Place your cylinders on the baking sheet, leave 2 inch space between them and mark a criss-cross pattern on top using the back side of the knife.
Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until slightly browned.
When they are baked, take them out, drizzle honey on top while still hot and sprinkle with the nuts. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
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