Kwareżimal

Kwareżimal

Ingredients

 250g almonds

250g sugar

240g plain flour

2 egg whites

orange-flower water

water

grated rind of 1 orange

ground cloves

Maltese honey

Method

1. Lightly toast or roast the almonds.
2. Leave to cool completely and grind coarsely.  Leave some for sprinkling on top of the kwareżimal.
3. In a large mixing bowl sift the flour.  Add the almonds, sugar, grated orange rind, orange flower water, ground cloves and egg whites.
4. Knead lightly until well mixed.  If you see that the dough is very stiff add some water.  You have to be very careful when adding water, because the dough should not be soft.  Otherwise it will flatten during baking.
5. Preheat the oven 190⁰C, Gas Mark 5.
6. Lightly wet your hands and start forming the dough into ovals.  Each piece should be approximately 16cm long, 5 cm wide and about 2cm thick..
7. Either lightly grease a baking tray or else line it with baking paper.
8. Place on the baking tray.
9. Before baking take a sharp pointed knife and make a criss-cross pattern on the kwareżimal.
10. Bake at 190⁰C, Gas 5 for about 20-25 minutes.
11. They should still be soft once you remove them from the oven, but don’t worry, they will harden up on cooling.  Do not make the mistake of leaving them in the oven till they harden.  If you do so; you can be certain that by the time they will have cooled they will be as hard as marble and no one will eat them!
12.  While still hot, spread with Malta honey and press on chopped roasted almonds.