Maltese Kwaresimal Lenten Almond Cakes Recipe

How to make it

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• Procedure:
• Toast the almonds on baking sheet for about 5 minutes at 400F.
• Reset the oven for 350F.
• Grind one-third of the almonds.
• Mix the ground almonds with the flour, sugar, and cinnamon.
• Add the orange extract and the rinds. Mix well.
• Blend in the slivered almonds.
• Gradually, add enough water to make a stiff dough (the dough will be sticky).
• Form the dough into cake about 7 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick.
• Bake for 35 minutes.
• Optional:
• While they are still hot, brush the Kwaresimal with honey, and sprinkle with slivered toasted almonds.
• Let the cakes cool for about 20 minutes, then with a serrated knife cut them into slices about 3/8 inch thick.
• (Variations:
• Here are a few of the classic variations:
• Hazelnuts can be substituted for the almonds.
• You can if you prefer all of the nuts, or fewer of them. You can also insert some whole blanched almonds.
• Remember the more nuts you grind to a powder, the more liquid you will need to make the dough; and the fewer nuts you grind, the less liquid.
• In Malta these cakes would often be made with orange-flower water, which is hard to obtain here. Orange extract or liqueur (or other liqueur or rum) can be used as a part of the liquid.)
• url:
• http://www.prosphora.org/page20.html#Amygdalota Sifneika (Lenten Greek Almond Cookies)