I have been itching to share this recipe for ages, but it is an Easter specific one - so now's the time! A traditional treat, every year at Easter time most family make what we call figolli (fɪgɔllɪ). It comprises of marzipan sandwiched between two thick biscuits, which with a bit of patience before baking, are shut to create one thing. They are then decorated using royal icing or melted chocolate. There is technically no rule about which shapes to make, but the traditional ones are generally: bunnies, ducks, lambs, hearts, butterflies, fish, or eggs. Pretty much most symbols for spring are acceptable. In Malta, you can easily find cutters for figolli, but here in the UK they're slightly more difficult to come by, so I made my own using cardboard and foil.
They are quite an undertaking. It's not the simplest of recipes, and I wouldn't say it is necessarily beginner friendly. The end result is so worth it though - you end up with these gorgeous bakes, which are usually exchanged with friends and family, best consumed with a cup of tea.
The below recipe will make 3 medium figolli (the moulds I created fit an 18x18cm square).
Ingredients
Dough
600gr plain flour
255gr granulated sugar
255gr margarine
Zest of 1 small lemon
3 eggs
1/2 tspn vanilla paste (or 1 tspn vanilla essence)
Marzipan Filling
300gr ground almonds
300gr granulated sugar
1 tspn almond extract
2 egg whites
3 tbsp water
50gr whole almonds
Royal Icing
500gr icing sugar
2 egg whites
Juice of half a small lemon
Food dye (whichever colours preferred)
Decorating
Silver dragées
Small easter eggs wrapped in foil (x3)
Method
1. To make the dough. In a large mixing bowl add the plain flour, sugar, and margarine. Using the tips of your fingers start to rub the flour and sugar into the margarine, until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add the lemon zest, eggs, and vanilla, and knead until a tight dough is formed. You may want to move onto a floured surface to knead.
2. Refrigerate the dough until ready to use.
3. To make the marzipan filling. Roast the whole almonds for around 10 minutes, or until just fragrant. Chop roughly.
4. In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
5. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground almonds, sugar, and almond extract. Add the egg whites and water and fold in. The mixture should more or less hold its shape, but not form a dough. Add in the chopped roasted almonds and mix until evenly distributed.
6. Assembly. Preheat your oven to 160 degrees celsius. Line 3 baking sheets with baking paper.
7. Roll out the dough around 3-4mm thick. I found it easier to roll it out in batches as I went along. Cut out two of each shape you're making - each piece of dough you cut out should have a partner. Set one of each shape onto its own baking sheet.
8. Using a teaspoon, start placing the marzipan filling onto the dough, leaving around a 3-5mm border of dough free. Dip a knife into boiling water and smooth out the top of the marzipan.
9. Set the matching cut out dough on top of the marzipan, stretching it out ever so slightly. Using the side of a knife, pull the top layer of dough over the bottom one, as if stitching them together. Push into the side gently so as to get the dough layers to stick together. Using the knife dipped in hot water again, run the knife along the side of the figolla to further help the dough stick together. It should look more or less seamless. It may take a few tries to get this right - so take your time, be patient, and try and get the dough layers as tight as possible so that the marzipan doesn't spill out during baking. Repeat with all the figolli.
10. Bake the figolli for 25-30 minutes, or until just about golden. Allow to cool down completely - ideally overnight.
11. Making the royal icing. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the icing sugar a third at a time, starting off slow so as not to create a cloud of icing sugar. Once all the icing sugar has been added, add the lemon juice a tablespoon at a time. You want the icing to be quite thick, as this will need to be piped on eventually.
12. Decorating. Start spreading the white royal icing onto the figolli. Using a knife dipped in hot water, smooth out the icing so as to remove any ridges. I personally only decorate the top, and not the sides.
13. Split the remaining royal icing into three bowls and add your chosen food dye. I opted for yellow for the duck, pink for the heart, and a lilac for the egg. Fit a piping bag with a small star tip, and start decorating the figolli as you'd like. My mother always decorated them simply - just piping the border on, with a few details added as needed - such as an eye for the duck, and a few dots on the egg. Add the silver dragées as you'd like whilst the icing is still wet.
14. Pipe two dots of royal icing towards the middle of your figolli and attach a foil wrapped egg. Allow the icing to dry completely.
15. Exchange with family members and friends, or enjoy with a cup of tea!
Recreating this recipe? Tag me on instagram @juliawgr!
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