Traditionally baked for special celebrations, the Torta tal-Marmurat is not easy to find in local shops.  The combination of chocolate, orange marmalade and almonds is without doubt divine.

This is a simplified version of Renato Briffa’s recipe which I have adapted for a busy home cook.

You will need a 23 cm tart dish

Heat oven to 160 degrees or gas mark 5

Baking time about 25 – 30 minutes. Prep Time 30 minutes

Ingredients for Sweet Pastry
160 g Flour
50 g Sugar
50 g Butter
5g Baking Powder
3 drops Vanilla Extract
35g Water
Zest of a quarter of a fresh Lemon

Sieve flour and baking powder into a large bowl. Add the softened butter cut up into small pieces and rub in until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest. Mix the sugar with water until it has dissolved and mix into the dry ingredients until they bind evenly. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest in a cool place for at least 15 minutes.

Ingredients for Marmurat Filling

125 g Pure Ground Almonds
100g Sugar
50 g Sweet crumbs from left over cakes or digestive biscuits
1 egg
2 tablespoons Orange Marmalade
1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
Pinch of Mixed Spice
4 drops Vanilla Extract
20 g Candid Peel preferably orange

To finish : 150 g Dark Chocolate and 80 g Roasted Flaked Almonds

In a large bowl mix the ground almonds, sugar and sweet crumbs. Add sieved cocoa powder, mixed spice, vanilla and candid peel and mix well. Finally add the well beaten egg and mix with wooden spoon until the mixture is even. Test for a dropping consistency and if necessary add another egg.

Grease the tart dish. Open the rested pastry with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface. Line the dish. Trim the pastry neatly and dock it with a fork. Spread the marmalade on the bottom of the pastry and then fill with the almond mix. Take a spoon and dip in hot water and run over the surface of the filling to achieve a tidy finish. Bake in a hot oven at 160 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes. When baked cool on a wire rack.

To finish off, melt 150g dark chocolate and spread it on the tart. You can either use a palate knife but I like to brush it on with a large pastry brush in several layers. Decorate as desired with roasted almonds. Store in an airtight tin. This tart will keep for a few weeks and in fact the flavour will improve.

One little hint, always weigh your liquids on a digital scale, it is far more accurate !
Happy baking ….

I use ingredients by Lamb Brand and Nature Line

Photos:  Stefan Stafrace, Steffi de Martino Media and Pix by P