Maltese Pastizzi

The most popular snack in Malta is the "pastizzi" which is a pastry pocket filled with ricotta cheese, usually eaten in the late morning with a cup of tea or coffee. I love ricotta cheese so I couldn't wait to try them. I had my first one in a little fishing village at the fish market. They were quite a good and satisfying snack.

puff pastry
400g ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tablespoons grated cheese
chopped parsley
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Mash the ricotta with the beaten eggs. Mix in the herbs and spices. Roll out the pastry thinly, cut out circles about 5 inches in diameter, and place a spoonful of the mixture onto each of these. Fold each pastry circle in half around the filling and press the edges furmly together. Place on a greased baking tray and bake in a hot oven for about a half hour or till the pastry is done.

Yield: about 15 pastizzis.