Almond Macaroons (Biskuttini Tal-Lewz)
The perfect macaroon should be crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. These keep well and are perfect for family occasions, ideal for serving with coffee. I like to flavour mine with a touch of orange-blossom water (ilma zahar) instead of the traditional almond essence.
Ingredients 6
200 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
2 egg whites, large, at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp orange-blossom water
200 g ground almonds
45 g rice flour
blanched almonds (blanched almond), whole, for topping
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Method 6
Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Whisk the and together until the mixture becomes glossy and smooth.
Mix in the , then gently fold in the and .
Scoop up a heaped teaspoon of mixture and use a second spoon to scrape it onto the tray. Continue dolloping until you have used all the mixture.
Press a whole blanched almond on top of each macaroon.
Bake for 15 minutes for a soft centre, or a little longer if you prefer them crunchier.
Simon Bajada's tips
Making ilma zahar in Malta is a fading craft, often made in monasteries by nuns, but still carried out by people such as Lawrence Bajada in Xagħra on the island of Gozo. In spring the flowers and leaves of the orange tree are gathered then steamed for hours. Droplets of condensation slowly collect to become the blossom water (ilma zahar), which is said to have medicinal benefits, being good for anxiety, aiding digestion, and even used for sick animals in the old days. Many old Maltese sweets recipes call for it but nowadays orange zest is more
commonly used.
