Bones of the Dead (Ghadam tal mejtin)

Nicole here again with another one of my Maltese sweets, 'Bones of the Dead,' or Ghadam tal mejtin. These sweets are traditionally made to commemorate All Souls Day in the beginning of November following Samhain (or Halloween). Traditionally, 'Bones of the Dead' are consumed throughout the month of November in celebration of  All Souls Day, marking the commemoration and anniversary of the passing of loved ones. 

Make no bones about these cookies! While they are in the shape of bones, their marzipan-almond filling is delightful between two buttery cookies topped with a zesty, citrus icing. 

I was determined to incorporate a successful gluten-free option for the pastry flour, experimenting with various flour combinations. I have experimented with oat, white rice & cassava flours, however, the best combination for this recipe is cassava and sorghum flours. This flour combination yields an elastic structure, tender pastry and subtle sweetness, especially when mixed with icing sugar.  

Yields: 20-22 cookies

Tea Pairing: Darjeeling (Second Flush)

What you Need:

Almond Filling

2 small egg whites
1 tsp. almond essence
1 cup natural almonds, ground
2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp. lemon zest

Cookie Pastry

1 cup butter, cold

¾ cup refined sugar 

1/2 tsp. vanilla essence

2 eggs, whisked

1 cup cassava flour

1 cup sorghum flour (or millet flour)

1 tbsp. icing sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. lemon zest


Icing

2 cups icing sugar
6-7 tbsp. plant based milk (or heavy cream)
4 tsp. corn syrup
1/4 tsp. almond essence
1/2 tsp. refined lemon zest
Knife-tip of concentrated black food colouring (optional)

Tools 

Brush
Distilled water
Parchment Paper
Bone Cookie Cutters of various sizes
Piping bag and frosting tip for icing

Tip: You will require the zest of one full lemon for the almond filling, cookie pastry and icing.

How to Make it Happen:

Almond Filling

1. Whisk the egg whites together with the almond essence and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the ground almonds, icing sugar and lemon zest together, slowly adding the egg-white mixture until all is combined. The mixture will be gooey.

   

   Ensure to chill the almond filling before use
   

   
   
3. Chill the almond filling mixture in plastic wrap for up to 3 hours or overnight. 

Cookie Pastry

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, adding the whisked eggs and vanilla essence until the ingredients are well incorporated. 
2. In a separate bowl, combine the cassava, sorghum (or millet flour), icing sugar, baking powder and lemon zest and whisk together.  
3. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until the pastry dough begins to form. Divide and chill the pastry dough for up to 3 hours.  

   

   Divide and chill the pastry dough for up to 3 hours
   

   
   
4. After three hours, ensure the pastry dough is still slightly chilled and roll the dough into a 1/4-inch thickness. Please Note: Gluten free flours thrive best when they are kneaded as little as possible. Do your best to avoid rolling and re-rolling your dough. If the dough becomes difficult to work with, chill the dough and start again. 

   

   Roll the pastry dough when it is still slightly chilled and knead as little as possible
   

   
   
5. You will need two cookies of the same size and shape to complete one entire cookie as each will contain an almond filling. Lay the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet or cutting board to ready cookie production.
   

   

   Roll the pastry into 1/4-inch thickness to begin cookie production
   

   
   
6. Once the almond filling has thawed out, roll it out in similar fashion to the pastry dough, ensuring the filling is slightly thinner in consistency to the 1/4-inch thickness of the cookie. QUICK TIP: Roll the almond filling out between two pieces of parchment paper and sprinkle icing sugar to help with it's stickiness.  
   
   
   

   

   Use parchment paper and sprinkle with icing sugar to reduce stickiness
   

   
   
7. Use the same cookie cutter as the pastry cookies to cut out a 'cookie' of almond paste. Remove the corners from the 'almond cookie' to ensure the filling does not escape and remains intact in the center (See both images below).
   

   

   Use the same cookie cutter to cut out a 'cookie' of  almond paste

   

   
   

8. Dampen the edges of the pastry with the almond side up and place the second cookie on top, closing the sides and edges together to ensure the filling does not escape.

   

   Dampen the edges of the pastry with the almond side up
   

   
   
9. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes in a 350-degree oven until the edges are golden brown.
10. Once the cookies have cooled, they can be stored in an air-tight container or prepped for decorating. 

Cookie Icing

1. In a medium bowl, combine icing sugar with the plant based milk (or cream). Next, add the corn syrup, almond essence and lemon zest.  Ensure to actively stir the ingredients together until it holds a smooth consistency. 

2. Add food colouring if desired. Here I used a knife-tip of concentrated black food colouring to create a gray icing for the bones cookies. 
3. Place the icing into a piping bag with tip and cover the cookie's surface with your desired amount of cookie frosting. Let dry to set. 

   

   Cover the cookie's surface with the desired amount of frosting