Qaghaq tal-Ghasel — Print Recipe

Traditional Maltese treacle-filled pastry rings with a citrus-spiced filling, a beloved Christmas and festive treat.

Ingredients

1 Make pastry: cream butter and sugar, add eggs and zests. Gradually mix in flour to form soft dough. Chill 30 min.
2 Make filling: warm treacle gently, stir in semolina, zests, spices, anise, and almonds. Let thicken and cool.
3 Roll pastry into long strips. Place a line of filling down the center of each strip.
4 Fold pastry over filling, shape into rings, and join ends. Make small cuts on top to show filling.
5 Brush with egg wash. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 min until golden.
6 Cool completely before storing — they improve over several days.

Did You Know?

Maltese families traditionally make huge batches of qaghaq tal-ghasel before Christmas, storing them in tins where they soften and improve for weeks.