Easter Cookies Inspired by Figolli

What do Easter cookies and Malta have in common? A lot, that’s what! Malta has been home for the past 2 years, other than its famous beaches and picturesque houses and views. The island is known for its more than 300 churches, with some dating back centuries.

And with that is the tradition of celebrating Easter with parades featuring Shrines of Jesus and Mary. But another festive process that children can take part in is making Figolli – which are the inspiration behind these easter cookies I am about to share with you.

How to Make These Figolli Inspired Easter Cookies

Well, let’s start with the part where it doesn’t follow your typical chocolate chip cookie steps of creaming butter and folding in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips.

When making these Easter cookies, you would first mix the flour, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Then process in the cold butter until it forms what resembles a crumbly dough. Finally, add the egg yolks and vanilla extract to combine until it all comes together into a ‘block’ if you will. Now split the dough into equal weights and wrap them in cling film.

While the cookie dough chills in the fridge. Move on to make the marzipan by whisking the icing sugar and ground almond. Then add in the egg whites and almond essence to mix until it’s all incorporated then wrap in cling film as well to chill in the fridge for an hour.

And onto the rolling! Work with one cookie dough at a time by placing it between lightly floured parchment paper, and rolling it out into a large circle of 1/8 inch thick. Next, roll the marzipan in between another floured parchment paper, and stack it onto the other rolled-out cookie dough and gently peel off the parchment paper.

It may happen that the dough is quite firm when you take it out of the fridge, so while you roll it out just pinch and push the cracked bits back together.

After rolling out the last cookie dough, layer it over the marzipan which should now be sandwiched between the two. Then gently give it one final roll to mesh the doughs together.

Typically Figolli are cut out using rabbit, sheep, eggs, the Madonna, duck, or fish shapes. Should you choose to make them, I believe the Maltese will be forgiving should you not have these on hand and choose other readily available cookie-cutter shapes. For these Easter cookies, I used my floral preferred shape.

And bake the easter cookies at low temperatures of 170°C / 338°F for about 17-20 minutes (rotating the baking tray halfway) until they have a slight golden color.

Then you can decorate by dipping them in chocolate, or royal icing sugar.

Since the marzipan is quite sweet, I chose to go the dark chocolate route for the contrast. Even though my daughters ‘eat with their eyes’ 🙂 (prefer colorful foods), to my surprise they devoured these Easter cookies.

Also, should you prefer, you could cut out the shapes individually without stacking the doughs together (like how they do when making the authentic Figolli cookies) to cut them at once. This would give you the option of using up the leftover cut-out bits of dough to make more cookies.

I hope you enjoyed these easy to make Figolli inspired Easter cookies, please rate them below. If you didn’t I would definitely like to know why 🙁 . To stay up to date on what’s fresh off the stove/oven, let’s stay connected on Instagram, Pinterest, Youtube, or subscribe below to be notified of new posts by email.

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Print Recipe

Figolli - Maltese Easter cookies

(+5 rating, 1 votes)

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Dessert – Maltese

By Angela – Serves: 20 cookies

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 17 minutes – Total Time: 37 minutes

Easy marzipan sandwiched Easter cookies, dipped in chocolate.

Ingredients

• FOR THE COOKIE DOUGH
• 300G all-purpose flour
• 100g caster sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 150g unsalted cold butter
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• FOR THE MARZIPAN
• 210g ground almonds (without skin)
• 150g icing sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon almond essence

Instructions

MIXING

1

Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and orange zest. Then add in the cold grated butter until it forms what resembles a crumbly dough.

2

Now add the egg yolks and vanilla extract, mix until it all comes together into a 'block'. Then split the dough into equal weights and wrap them in cling film to chill in the fridge.

3

While the cookie dough chills in the fridge, make the marzipan by whisking the icing sugar and ground almond. Then add in the egg whites and almond essence, mix until it's all incorporated. Wrap it in cling film as well and leave it to chill in the fridge for an hour.

ROLLING

4

Work with one cookie dough at a time by placing it between parchment paper and shaping it into a large circle of 1/8 inch thick.

If the dough is quite firm as you roll it out, just pinch and push the cracked bits back together.

5

Roll the marzipan in between parchment paper and stack the other rolled-out dough on top of it then gently but quickly flip it over so that the marzipan will be facing up.

6

And finally, roll out the last dough and layer it over the marzipan which should now be sandwiched between the two. Then gently give it one final roll to mesh the doughs together.

BAKE

7

Cut them out using preferred cookie cutter shapes and place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake at 170°C / 338°F for about 17-20 minutes (rotating the baking tray halfway) until they have a slight golden color.

8

When they are ready, take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before decorating by dipping them in chocolate, or royal icing sugar.

9

Store in an airtight container.