Hello again!  I hope you’re all having a lovely summer whatever you’re doing and wherever you are. I know Summer is all about salads and baking is probably the last thing on anybody’s mind in this heat, but I’m a baker at heart and nothing, not even the worst heatwave will deter me from my beloved oven.

So since my last post, I have been working hard on this recipe, trying to get it the way I remember it to be growing up.  There are a few recipes online that looked promising but somehow neither of them seemed to be authentic to my memory…so after about a dozen try outs, and with the help of all my friends who have tried this and given me their honest opinions, I think I am ready to post it.

This recipe has a special place in my heart as it reminds me of my beloved nanna.  Every Saturday, I used to stop by the Kiosk at the entrance of Valletta and get one to take to her on my way home from the disco (ha ha…disco…those were the days).  Then we’d sit down and have a cuppa tea and a chat together while we shared the pastry. To tell the truth, I always ended up eating most of the tart as it was my favourite but Nanna didn’t seem to mind and we were both glad of the chance to spend some time together.

I have to say that this is a very rich dessert and a little goes a long way.  One 4″ tart serves 6-8 people.  They are usually sold in little four inch tarts but you can make one big tart if you prefer. This recipe makes exactly four 4″ tarts.

Crust

200g flour
50g butter
50g shortening
grated rind of half a lemon
1 egg yolk
pinch of salt
little bit of milk

Filling

75g almond meal
50g pure ground almonds
75g crushed rusks
60g chopped candied peel
1tbsp marmalade
1 egg
50g sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
12g cocoa powder
pinch of cinnamon and cloves optional

Fudge Frosting

50g of bittersweet dark chocolate
50g sugar
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp butter 

 

Crust

Make the crust by putting the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Rub in the butter and shortening. Add the egg yolk and bind until the dough comes together nicely.  Add some milk if you see the dough is too dry.

Filling

Put everything in a bowl and mix together.

Using your dish of choice, roll out the dough and place in your dish.  Add the filling and bake in 375 degree oven for about 20 mins depending on your oven.

Prepare the Fudge Frosting

Put the chocolate, sugar, milk and butter in a pot and stir until melted.  When the pies are done, cover with the frosting.

Let cool until the frosting sets.

This is a very heavy type dessert so a little goes a long way.  Best served with some strong black coffee or espresso.

 

One tip I have for you is to make your own candied peel…it takes time, about three days to make it from start to finish, but it does not compare to what you get from the store.