Qaghaq tal-hmira


Qaghaq tal-hmira are Maltese tea treats. The name translates into yeast rings; these rings are delicious brioche-type rings topped with sesame seeds and baked for not more than 15 minutes. The longest part of the preparation is the resting time.


Even though we are used to eating these rings in the colder months with some tea or coffee, try making these rings for a day at the beach and they will be devoured in no time!


Here is what you need to make approximately 20 rings of about 7 cm in diameter.


500g plain flour
200g caster sugar
200g butter
11g  dried yeast
½ tsp aniseed
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla powder
Grated zest of 1 lemon lemon
180ml luke warm water
1 egg
Sesame Seeds


Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and add the lemon zest. Using your hands, rub in the butter until you have a sandy mixture. You can use a mixer with a dough hook for this.

Next add the water a little at a time to form a dough and knead it for about 10 mins. Allow the dough to rest in a warm place for about 1 to 2 hours or even overnight.

Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it on a floured surface. Next cut small pieces of pastry and roll them round to form a long pipe. Twist the pipe around to form a ring and place it on your baking dish. Once all the rings have been formed, allow them to rest for another hour. Do not worry if the rings puff up and touch each other.

Now brush the top with eggwash (1 egg beaten with a fork) and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for not more than 15 minutes. The rings should be browned on top but still soft when you touch them.

These rings are best served warm but will keep for 3 days in an airtight container.

9 comments:

  1. I must try them. They will remind me of when I was a kid! Living in the UK means they are not something I can pop to the shops for. What a lovely recipe.

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  2. Hi, I tried them out yesterday, they are really delicious. However, I have a query about them. Is the dough supposed to rise? Cause it didn't.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, the yeast is there to make the dough rise and this is what will give it its light texture.

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  3. Hi, can someone give me the receipt in cups and ounces.

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  4. This is a good site to convert your measurements: http://calculator-converter.com/converter_g_to_c_grams_to_cups_calculator.php

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thank you for the good and very useful information for everyone who is interested in your page. There are many delicious recipes and desserts.
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    ReplyDelete
  6. They sound lovely. I will try them soon

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    Replies
    1. Mine keep coming put very dense! Am i not kneading enough? I used my kenwood stand mixer with dough hook.

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  7. Hi, do not mix it too much. Once the dough is formed, stop the mixer and allow it to rest.
    It is very important to allow the dough to rest as this will make it lighter. let me know if you have other issues

    ReplyDelete

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