Lenten cakes: traditional sweet treats

These chewy, nutty cakes are a traditional Maltese sweet served during Lent. Kwarezimal refers to quadragesima, a Latin term that means the “fortieth,” or Lent.

Kwarezimal (Lenten Almond Cakes)

Start to finish: 45 minutes (20 minutes active)

Makes 12 cakes

2 cup blanched almonds (whole, slivered or chopped)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Zest of 2 oranges

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup lightly chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the almonds on a baking sheet and place in the oven to toast for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon and orange zest.

When the almonds are done, remove them from the oven and transfer to a food processor.

Pulse until the almonds are coarsely ground. Add the almonds to the flour mixture.

Add the water and mix to form a very stiff dough. Add additional flour or water to get a tacky, but not sticky, dough. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead several times.

Form the dough into a log, then flatten to form a 6-by-18-inch rectangle. Use a knife to cut the rectangle into 1 1/2-by-6-inch bars. Carefully transfer the bars to the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1/2 inch between them.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until just lightly browned at the edges and still tender. Cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pistachios.