Figolla

Figolla

The Figolla is a sweet made of shortcrust pastry with an almond filling.  It is given as a gift on Easter Sunday.  It is made in a variety of shapes and decorated either with royal icing or else with chocolate.

How to make a Figolla

Ingredients

sweet shortcrust pastry

For the Filling

300g pure ground almonds

220g sugar

4 egg whites

grated rind of 1 lemon

vanilla essence

Method

  1. Prepare the shortcrust pastry as for Marmurat Tart. 
  2. To make 4 figolli you have to use 1440g flour.  This means that you have to make the basic pastry recipe and multiply all the ingredients by 3.  It is very important to remember that you should not use self-raising flour and you are not to add baking powder.  When cooked the pastry should taste like biscuits.  If you use a raising agent the pastry rises.  It will be pleasant to look at but when you bite it, you will be left with an unpleasant sensation.  If you will be baking a large number of figolli, you can prepare the pastry even 3 days in advance.  Wrap it carefully in stretch and seal and put it in the fridge.  You have to take out the pastry from the fridge a few hours before you will be using it.
  3. Whilst the pastry is resting you can prepare the filling.
  4. In a large mixing bowl put the ground almonds, sugar, eggs, grated rind of 1 lemon, essence and egg whites. Mix well together till you have a fairly dry paste.
  5. Preheat the oven 1900C, Gas Mark 5.
  6. Put pastry on a lightly floured board.  Cut a piece the size of 1 figolla and roll it out.  You should not roll out the pastry too thinly; otherwise it will easily break.
  7. Choose the shape of the figolla and cut 2 pieces of the same shape.  Put 1 shape on a greased baking tin or else line it with baking paper.
  8. Brush the sides with water or with beaten egg.  Spread with the almond paste.  Leave a free space all round for sealing.  Very carefully put the other piece of pastry on top.  Seal all round by pressing with your fingers.
  9. Bake for 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.
  10. Leave the figolla to cool in the baking tray.  When cool remove from tray and put on a wire tray till completely cold.
  11. If your oven is large enough, you can bake more than 1 figolla at a time.
  12. Decorate with royal icing, little silver balls and a small chocolate egg pressed in the centre.