Pastizzi (Maltese Ricotta Pastries)

Ingredients

• 400g plain flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 320ml cold water
• 150g margarine, softened
• 100g lard or vegetable shortening, softened
• 500g ricotta, well drained
• 3 eggs
• 50g grated hard cheese (optional)
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 egg, beaten, for brushing

Before you cook

• Drain the ricotta in a fine sieve for at least 30 minutes to press out the excess whey, then tip it into a bowl and mash it smooth with a fork.
• Beat 3 eggs into the ricotta with a good pinch of salt and black pepper until you have a thick, spoonable filling, then cover and chill it.
• Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl, pour in the cold water, and bring it together into a rough, slightly sticky dough.
• Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5 minutes until smooth, then cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 30 minutes.
• Beat the softened margarine and lard together in a small bowl until you have one smooth, spreadable fat.
• Roll the rested dough out into a large rectangle about 3mm thick.
• Spread a third of the fat mixture thinly over the whole surface of the dough.
• Roll the dough up tightly from the short end into a log, stretching gently as you roll so no air pockets form inside.
• Coat the outside of the log with another third of the fat, wrap it in cling film, and chill it for at least 1 hour.
• Unwrap the chilled log and slice it into rounds about 2cm thick.
• Stand each round on its cut side and roll it out into a thin oval about 12cm long, keeping the spiral layers visible.
• Spoon two heaped tablespoons of the ricotta filling along the centre of each oval.
• Fold the two long edges of the dough up over the filling so they meet in a ridge along the top, pinching them together firmly and leaving the pointed ends open.

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
2. Arrange the pastizzi seam-side up on the trays, spacing them a couple of centimetres apart.
3. Brush each one lightly with beaten egg, keeping the open ends free of egg wash so the filling stays visible.
4. Slide the trays into the oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed, flaky and deep golden brown.
5. Pull the trays out and let the pastizzi sit for 5 minutes before serving, since the ricotta filling is scalding hot straight from the oven.