Sinizza…a delicious Maltese sweet!

Sinizza by Sandra Hammett

This is a delicious Maltese sweet consisting of a soft sponge roll, filled with ricotta and candied fruit, cooked in puff pastry.

For the sponge:

4 eggs; 100g plain flour;  100g sugar; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp baking powder;  vanilla essence.

Beat the eggs and sugar for about five mins. till thick add vanilla essence;  fold in sieved flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder.  Line a flat dish with baking paper and bake in a preheated oven (fan 175) for about twenty mins.  Take out of the oven and roll with baking paper while still hot to form the roll.

Filling:  Mix 500g ricotta with 1 tbs. Maltese honey, zest of half a lemon, some chopped glace cherries, some candied peel, some vanilla.  When sponge has cooled, sprinkle liberally with some dry white Martini and freshly grated nutmeg;  spread with ricotta, roll once more and remove the baking paper.  Roll the puff pastry (ready bought) into a large rectangle, put the sponge roll on it and close it up.  Put on lined dish and brush pastry with beaten egg;  bake in a preheated oven (200 fan) for about twenty minutes, or until golden. Spread the pastry with 1 tbs Maltese honey, sprinkle some slivered almonds, and dust with icing sugar.  Nice served as a dessert with some vanilla ice-cream on the side!