Name: Pastizzi (Maltese cheesecake tarts)
Yield: Makes about 24
Cuisine: Maltese
Ingredients: 200 g (7 oz) ricotta cheese, or mixed full-fat and cottage cheese; 2 eggs; 200 g (7 oz) plain flour; a generous pinch of salt; 30 g (1 oz) each of soft lard and butter; fat for greasing

Preparation info

Makes about
24

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Cooking of the Mediterranean

By Jane Grigson

Published 1991

About

Every country that uses milk products has at least one form of cheesecake. These Pastizzi filled with ricotta cheese are a favourite mid-morning snack in Malta: you eat them with your coffee or tea, and dip them in sugar or salt as you feel inclined. I sometimes serve them as a pudding, with a little cream, or at a weekend tea-time.

Ingredients

For the pastry

200 g (7 oz) plain flour
a generous pinch of salt

Europe
Malta
Snack
Mediterranean
Vegetarian

Method

The pastry is made with little fat, but the method gives it flakiness. Mix the flour with the salt and enough water to give a soft, slightly bubbly dough (use an electric mixer if possible). Chill and then roll out into a rectangle. Spread it all over with the lard. Roll up like a swiss roll, chill again and repeat, this time spreading the dough with the butter. Roll up, chill and roll out agai

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Ingredients

For the pastry

Method

Part of