Malta Bake Shop

The Malta Bake Shop is located in the Malta Village in Toronto, on Dundas Street West, just west of St. Paul the Apostle Church.

Pastizzi, qassatat, gbejniet, galleti, buskutelli, krustini, qaq tal ghasel, and many more things are available by mail to most places in Canada and the United States.

If you're interested in this service, please send e-mail to Charles and Antoinette at maltabak@globalserve.net

Ingredients

800g small fish
pepper & salt
1 medium onion
bay leaf
clove of garlic
mint, fresh if available
2 tablespoons oil
lemon
3.5 oz. rice
6 tomatoes

Mince the onion and the clove and fry in the oil till soft. Peel and cube the tomatoes. Add to the onions. Add the herbs and enough water to make the soup. Wait until the mixture boils and then add the fish. Cook slowly until the fish is cooked. Strain the whole mixture making sure to squeeze all the juice out of the fish and the herbs. Put the strained liquid back on the stove and add the rice. Cook until the rice is soft. Add a few drops of lemon and serve hot.

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Ingredients

7oz flour
7oz sugar
2 oz margarine
grated peel from half a lemon
grated peel from half an orange
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
dash of cocoa
1 teaspoon chocolate powder
1 egg
a little milk

Mix the flour, margarine and sugar together. Mix the ingredients well with the tips of your fingers. Then add the remaining ingredients (except the milk). Slightly beat the egg and add to the mixture. Add a little milk to soften the mixture.

Grease a baking sheet with margarine and sprinkle with a little flour. Form the dough mixture into elongated biscuits and place on the baking sheet leaving some space between them for expansion. Sprinkle some fine sugar on top of the biscuits. Bake in a medium oven for about twenty minutes.

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Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice
1½ lbs grated cheese
2 tbs bread crumbs
pepper & salt
paprika
50g margarine
2 egg yolks
570 ml milk

Combine the cooked rice, the egg yolks and 21 oz. of grated cheese and mix well. Add the milk and mix again. Grease a baking dish with butter and pour the mixture into it. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and the remaining cheese on top of the mixture. Cut the margarine into almond-sized pieces and drop on top of the mixture. Bake in a moderate oven for about 45 minutes. Serve the rice with fried tomatoes.

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Ingredients

800 g stale bread
560ml milk
1 tbs margarine
glass of brandy or rum
2 eggs
3.5 oz. Sugar
a few drops of vanilla extract
2 oz. candied fruit
3.5 oz. Raisins
grated peel from one orange
2 tbs chocolate powder
few oz. of crushed almonds

Remove the crust from the bread. Soak the bread in the milk until it becomes soft. Add the margarine, sugar, candied fruit, chocolate powder and the brandy to the bread and milk mixture. Mix well using your fingers. Beat the eggs lightly and add to the mixture along with the vanilla extract and the raisins. Grease a baking dish with margarine and spread the mixture in it. Sprinkle the crushed almonds on top of the mixture and bake in a moderate oven for about half an hour. Serve cold.

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Ingredients for Rikotta cheese pastizzi

2 lbs. flaky pastry dough
2 lbs. ricotta cheese
salt
2 eggs

Ingredients for meat pastizzi

2 lbs. flaky pastry dough
1 or 2 small onions
1 lb lean ground beef
2 cans of pees
2 teaspoons tomato paste
half a teaspoon spices

Preparing the Rikotta cheese pastizzi

Note: You can substitute Pillsbury Flaky Pastry Dough for home-made flaky pastry dough...if you're lazy like me!

Mix the rikotta cheese with the two eggs until the eggs are thoroughly mixed into the rikotta cheese. Add a bit of salt to the mixture for taste. Roll out the dough (do not make the dough too thin.) Cut the dough into three- to four-inch circles. Put one tablespoon of the rikotta cheese mix in the middle of each circle. Fold each circle from the top and the bottom to the centre and squeeze the edges together so that the pocket is sealed (the horizontal ends should be formed into points.) Put the pastizzi on a margarine greased baking sheet. Bake in a moderate oven (350-425 degrees) for about one hour.

You will need to experiment a bit with the oven temperature and the cooking time. The pastizzi should be a golden-brown colour when they're ready. They're best eaten when they are warm with a cup of good coffee or tea. Enjoy!

Preparing the meat pastizzi

Mince the onions and fry in a bit of oil. When the onions start turning dark in colour add the hamburger. Cook for a bit and then add the tomato paste and the spices. Mix well and then add the pees. Add pepper and salt to taste. Roll out the dough (do not make the dough too thin.) Cut the dough into three- to four-inch circles. Put one tablespoon of the meat mix in the middle of each circle. Fold each circle from the top and the bottom to the centre and squeeze the edges together so that the pocket is sealed (the horizontal ends should be formed into points.) Put the pastizzi on a margarine greased baking sheet. Bake in a moderate oven (350-425 degrees) for about one hour.

You will need to experiment a bit with the oven temperature and the cooking time. The pastizzi should be a golden-brown colour when they're ready. They're best eaten when they are warm with a cup of good coffee or tea. Enjoy!

Making the dough

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Making the dough.

8 oz. flour (use common flour)
6 oz. margarine cut into half-inch cubes
6-7 tbs. cold water
dash of salt

First, here are a few secrets you need to know if you are to be successful making this dough!

The key one is that everything you use must be cold! The dough must also be kept cold at all times. The best working surface for the dough is a slab of marble since marble tends to stay cool. Always store the dough covered with a damp cloth in your refrigerator, but before storing it, make sure you remove any loose flour. Always sprinkle the working surface, the rolling pin, and the dough with flour before you start working the dough. Never turn over the dough while you are working it. Instead, turn it flat on the board (or turn the board itself) clockwise before each rolling and always in the same direction. This is one of the hardest doughs to make and you may have to try it a few times before you get it right!

Sift flour and salt together. Divide the margarine into half-inch squares. Drop margarine squares into flour making sure not to squash them. Mix lightly until all margarine cubes are covered with flour (make sure that the cubes remain intact.) Add water and mix lightly with a knife again making sure that the cubes remain intact. If some flower is left loose, add a teaspoon of cold water at a time until all the flour is used. The resulting dough should be very soft.

Sprinkle the dough and the working surface with flour. Work the dough into an elongated shape using your finger tips. Sprinkle some flour on the rolling pin and roll the dough until it's about eight inches long and not more than five inches wide. Now do the steps below exactly.

1. Fold the lower third toward the top. Now fold the upper third toward the bottom on top of the first fold. You should end up with a three-layered rectangle. With light pressure from the rolling pin, seal the three edges.
2. Remove any extra flour. Now turn the folded dough anti-clockwise so that the right side is at the top. Roll the dough lightly until it is nine inches long and six inches wide.
3. Repeat steps one and two.
4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and store in the refrigerator for twenty minutes.
5. Repeat steps one through four, four times.

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Picture of a Figolla (60KB)
Picture of a Figolla (49KB)

DOUGH (SOUR CREAM COOKIES DOUGH)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening (part butter or margarine)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg slightly beaten
1 tsp. pure Vanilla extract
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. Baking soda
½ tsp. Salt
½ cup sour cream

Mix shortening, sugar, egg and vanilla extract thoroughly. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Blend the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.) Add to sugar mixture alternating with sour cream. Divide dough.

ALMOND PASTE

Ingredients:

10 ounces grated almonds
4 ounces icing sugar
4 ounces fine sugar
2 small eggs
1 tsp. pure Almond extract
1 tsp. sugar water
Sherry (to taste)

Mix the sugar, icing sugar and the almonds. Combine the eggs with the almond extract and the Sherry without whipping. Combine the egg mixture to the Almond mixture until the mixture is smooth.

MAKING THE FIGOLLI

Heat oven to 325ºF. Roll out a piece of dough until it is ¼" thick on a well-floured surface. Cut into desired shapes (two cut-outs for each Figolla.) Spread almond past on one of the cut-outs. Place the other cut-out on top and press the edges to seal. Brush the top of the Figolli with the beaten egg. Bake until the Figolli turn to a golden colour. Let the Figolli cool down and then decorate with coloured icing. Pace a hollow chocolate egg in the center of each Figolla using some soft icing to hold it in place.

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Ingredients

14oz flaky dough
2 lbs. uncut macaroni*
1lb extra lean hamburger**
3 tbs tomato paste
4 well-beaten eggs
2 cups water or stock
1 small finely chopped onion
pepper and salt
14oz grated Parmesan cheese

* Uncut macaroni are sometimes hard to find. However you can usually find them in Italian stores. If you cannot get uncut macaroni, substitute with cut macaroni, preferably plain cut macaroni.

** You can substitute Corned Beef (2 cans) for the hamburger. I personally prefer Corned Beef as it gives the Timpana extra flavour.

In a large saucepan, cook the onion until tender. Add the meat and brown for a couple of minutes. Add the tomato paste and two cups of water or stock and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover the saucepan and let the sauce simmer for about twenty minutes.

In the mean time, cook the macaroni in salted boiling water till tender, drain, and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the sauce, the Parmesan cheese and the beaten eggs and mix well.

Grease a large baking dish (28x18x4cm Pyrex dish is ideal) with lard or margarine. Roll out the dough and line the dish with the dough. Pour the pasta and sauce mix into the baking dish. Cover the top with dough. Press the edges to seal the dish. Decorate with a dough flower in the middle. With a fork, pierce the dough. Then brush with a beaten egg.

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C) Gas 5. Bake for about one hour. The dough should turn golden-brown.

Serve the Timpana hot or cold in large pieces with grated parmesan cheese.

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Ingredients

Lima Beans (canned)
Chick Peas (canned)
4 Garlic Cloves (crushed)
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Chopped Parsley
Chopped Mint
Olives
Tomato Paste
Crust Bread

This is perhaps one of the simplest yet most popular quick meals enjoyed by Maltese people, especially in the summer months. It is simple to prepare and can be extremely appetizing. The salad is eaten with crusty bread, spread with tomato paste and dipped in olive oil. Usually, anchovies, olives, canned tuna and fresh tomatoes complete the meal.

Preparing the salad is quite simple. Mix one can of lima beans, one can of chick peas and the crushed garlic with olive oil. Add the chopped parsley and mint . Season to taste with salt and pepper.

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Ingredients

500g Broad Beans
Olive Oil
Chopped Parsley
Salt & Pepper
4 Crushed Garlic Cloves
A Pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda

Bigilla is a Maltese snack that used to be sold during the cold, damp winter months. The bigilla vendors usually came late in the evening selling the hot paste served in parchment paper. The snack warms the heart. I remember buying a couple of pennies worth when tal- Bigilla came around. I'm not sure if the street vendors still come around but bigilla is now being sold in cans!

If you're using dried broad beans, you must first soak them for two days in salted water with the bicarbonate of soda mixed in. The water must be changed after the first day. This will soften the beans. After the second day, cook the beans in fresh water. Bring the water to a boil and let simmer until the beans are cooked. Drain and mince the beans. Mix in the olive oil, parsley and crushed garlic and make into a paste. For best taste, serve hot.

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Ingredients (makes about 30 snacks)

400g Flour
1 tablespoon lard
1 tablespoon margarine
1 tablespoon sugar
1.2 kg pitted dates
1 orange peel grated
1 tablespoon anisette
1 tablespoon orange flower water
A pinch of ground cloves

To make the dough, rub the lard into the flour. Add the sugar and mix. Moisten with anisette and orange flower water until you can form a soft dough.

Next prepare the filling. Mash the dates and mix with the cloves, orange peel, anisette and orange flower water. Note: If the dates are hard, soak in water for about thirty minutes to soften. Drain before using.

Roll the dough out into a long wide strip and spread the prepared filling on the top half of the dough to form a layer about a quarter of an inch thick. Wet the edge of the pastry and fold over to cover the filling. Press all edges well together to seal. Cut into diamond or rectangular shapes (about 3.5 x 2.5 inches.) Fry in deep hot oil till golden in colour. Let drain and eat while still hot. Enjoy!

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Ingredients

Bread Slices
Sliced Tomatoes
Shredded Mozzarella or Cheddar Cheese
Pepperoni/Suasage Slices (optional)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

These are quick snacks my mother makes when we visit. They're very simple and quick to make. Rye, Maltese or Italian bread slices or some other firm bread slices work best.

Butter the bread slices. Cover with two or three thin slices of tomatoes. Season the tomatoes with pepper and salt and other herbs if you like (I like to add a few Anise seeds). If you prefer, add a couple of slices of pepperoni or sausage. Spread the shredded cheese on the bread and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a hot oven until the cheese melts and the bread is slightly toasted. Enjoy!

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