Easter Figolli frivolity!
Written by Editor
Down under, the tradition of Maltese Easter figolla making is getting a boost. Maltese-descent Australian, Nanette Johnson, aka Ms Gourmet of foodie blog gourmetworrier fame, came up last year with what she called then ”a hair brain idea to host a World Figolli Day’. Well, one year on, and it’s proved to be less hair-brained. Thanks to its success in 2011, it seems to be turning into a regular calendar event – to mark Easter by both ‘down under’ and here in Malta.
The ‘day’ is a virtual hang-out, if you like, of figolli makers worldwide (and not all have Maltese roots I hear) as well as being this year a physical gathering in Melbourne on 24 March at the Maltese Community Centre.
Nanette tells us to ‘turn off our iPhones and shut down our MacBooks [wishful thinking!] and then head into the kitchen with our kids, nieces, nephews, nannas and nunnus and have a bonding session with some dough and hopefully pass on a few Maltese culinary traditions whilst we’re at it.’ If you do get baking, be sure to take photos and/or videos and post on the World Figolli Day Pinterest. Later, on Easter Monday, Nanette and renowned Melbourne chef Shane Delia judge the best Maltese and best Australian based figolla. The winners will receive a signed copy of Shane’s latest book Maha.
More details are here on World Figolli Day on Facebook. Here’s Nanette’s Figolli recipe, if you don’t have your own family favourite. The Flickr group is here. We’ll add the Pinterest link soon.
So what do you think, do you want to help bring figolli back in vogue and get the family elbow deep in dough! Nothing too strenuous is involved remember, just some flour, eggs, sugar and almonds and hopefully a whole lot of fun.
Photos: courtesy Nanette Johnson.
[...] much of Christian Europe, the giving of chocolate eggs. Malta has its special Easter cakes – Figolli – which feature all Easter but are often taken as gifts on this [...]