Maltese Christmas Honey/Treacle rings (Qaghaq Ta' l-Ghasel)
 
Cook time
Total time
 
Makes 16 honey rings. I used honey in this recipe and not treacle. Either can be used. A few tablespoons of aniseed liqueur can also be added in the filling mixture.
Author:
Cuisine: Maltese
Ingredients
  • For the Filling:
  • I small jar of honey (450 grams)
  • 400 ml water
  • 250 grams semolina
  • 100 grams white or brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange blossom water and 1 tablespoon marmalade
  • Grated rind of lemon, 1 orange and 1 other citrus such as clementine or tangerine (grate on large grater setting to give the honey ring filling texture)
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cloves
  • For the pastry:
  • 500 grams plain flour
  • 50 grams unsalted butter
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • About 100 ml water to bind
  • Additional semolina to dust tray
Instructions
  1. Make the filling first.
  2. Add all ingredients except semolina in a medium pot and bring to a boil, stirring continuously.
  3. Reduce temperature to a low to medium heat and slowly add the semolina. It is very important that you slowly add the semolina and continuously stir.
  4. Continue to stir for about ten minutes and remove from heat once the mixture is soft to taste (not gritty). If the mixture tastes gritty the semolina has not cooked.
  5. Leave aside for about half an hour and then place in the fridge overnight.
  6. Make the pastry by mixing the flour and butter between your fingers.
  7. Slowly add the egg and orange juice to start to bind the mixture together.
  8. Slowly add the water to bind further and make a soft dough. Knead until the dough has formed.
  9. Wrap in plastic and also place in fridge overnight.
  10. The following day take your pastry and cut into 16 pieces.
  11. Place some semolina onto the table and roll a piece of pastry onto the table with dimensions of roughly 8 centimeters by 25 centimeters.
  12. Take the filling and place along the pastry(to resemble a sausage), making sure to leave room around the edges of the pastry.
  13. With a pastry brush, brush the edges of the pastry with water and roll the pastry around the filling.
  14. Form a ring with the rolled pastry by bringing the two edges together and seal.
  15. Make slits around the honey rings and slightly open with fingers, to allow the filling to come out during baking.
  16. Place some semolina on a baking tray and place the honey ring on the tray.
  17. Preheat the oven to 180oC and continue to do this for the remaining of the pastry and filling until you have 16 honey rings.
  18. Place in the oven for 20 minutes or until the honey rings are very lightly coloured (not browned).
Recipe by A Maltese Mouthful at https://www.amaltesemouthful.com/maltese-christmas-honeytreacle-rings-qaghaq-tal-ghasel/