I wanted these cookies to feel distinctly Maltese, bringing together a few flavours that I associate with the islands: carob, almonds and orange blossom. Almond gives the cookies a subtle nuttiness and a nod towards traditional almond based biscuits, such as bankunċini, but I wanted the flavour to be a little more complex than a classic almond and citrus combination.
The carob syrup is what gives these cookies their depth. It has a naturally rich, mellow sweetness that works particularly well with the ground almonds, while the orange blossom brings a delicate floral note that lifts everything and ties the flavours together. The combination gives the cookies plenty of character without making them feel heavy or overly sweet.
I also love the texture of these. They are soft and tender in the centre, with a lightly crisp edge, and the cracked icing sugar coating gives them their pretty crinkled appearance. They look a little more special than the effort involved in making them would suggest, which is always a bonus when baking.
The dough is very simple to make and only needs a short chill before you roll it into balls and coat them generously in icing sugar. The most important thing is not to over bake them. They should still be soft in the centre when they come out of the oven, as they will continue to set as they cool.
I have a recipe for homemade carob syrup, which is surprisingly easy to make and stores really well, so it is worth making a batch if you have access to plenty of carob pods. Of course, shop bought carob syrup works perfectly well too.
