Kristine’s Amma's Vinarterta (Icelandic torte)

I received a request for a Vinarterta recipe.

It’s not a Maltese recipe, but an Icelandic one.

No problem.

Manitoba is home to a large Icelandic community, centred in Gimli.

Gimli is just a few miles north of Winnipeg.

The annual Icelandic festival, Islendingadagurinn, is great fun for the whole family.

As it was for Ma in New York in the 50s, I’ve learned a few recipes from my neighbours here in Winnipeg over the years.

A few very good recipes I’m happy to share with you.

Thanks to Kristine, I have a very good Vinarterta recipe.

Vinarterta is a torte that is served during special occasions, particularly at Christmas, weddings and Icelandic festivals.

Icelandic cooks have a few things in common with Maltese cooks.

It seems there are variations for most recipes.

Prune is the standard filling for Vinarterta.

But some folks use a mixture of prunes and dates.

Cardamom is traditional, but some prefer cinnamon or ginger.

Some like to add a butter cream icing or marzipan.

Most agree it should be served with good strong Icelandic coffee.

Oh, Amma is Icelandic for Grandma.

Hints:

Roll the dough out directly on the cookie sheet, then cut the circle or square using an inverted plate or pan.

That way you don’t have to lift the layers and they’ll keep their shape.

You must age the cake after it has been assembled.

You can age it in a covered container for three days to a week in the fridge.

Or you can wrap it in a dry cloth so the cake will mellow.

Still, that’s less time to age than a regular fruitcake.

                        Vinarterta

Filling

Place in a large pot

1 pound pitted prunes

Add enough water to cover.

Cook the prunes until tender. 

Cool.

Process the prunes in a blender and add

1/2 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Cookie Layers

This recipe will make 6 or 7 layers, depending on how thinly they are rolled out.

In a medium bowl combine

4 Cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

In a large mixer bowl, beat at medium speed

1 Cup butter

1 1/2 Cups sugar

Add

2 large eggs

Beat well.

Add 

1 teaspoon cardamom

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 Tablespoons cream

Add the flour mixture, stirring just enough to blend.

Divide the dough into six or seven portions. 

Roll out the portions of the dough on a cookie sheet. 

Cut an 8 inch round or square using a plate or pan as a guide. 

Bake at 350º F for 8 to 10 minutes to a delicate light brown. 

Layers should be cooled completely before filling with cooled prune mixture.

Spread the filling on the cookie layers.

Allow the cake to age.

Anna Sultana's Imqaret - Deep-fried Date Slices, Maltese Style l Jelly Doughnuts

Some of Ma's recipes were similar to those my Sicilian Aunts cooked.

And some were similar to what our German neighbours cooked.

Hard to believe?

Ma said Mrs. Kekelia's German rouladen reminded her of Maltese bragoli.

But there are a few recipes that we Maltese can claim as strictly our own.

One such recipe is the one for our imqaret.

Imqaret is kind of like a jelly doughnut.

Jelly doughnuts were pretty popular when I was a kid in College Point.

My German friends had plenty of jelly- or custard-filled doughnuts.

They called the doughnuts bismarks, or Berliners, or long johns.

In Manitoba jelly doughnuts are called jambusters.

In Nova Scotia they are called Burlington buns.

Imqaret is a little different.

It is fried with the filling already in it.

And the filling is made from dates, not jelly or custard.

And there isn't any yeast in the dough.

Like I said, it's strictly our own recipe.

And it's way, way better.

Hint:

If you don't have a deep-frying thermometer, test the oil by slipping a bit of the dough into the oil.  It should sizzle and turn brown in 1 minute.

Orange flower water may be a bit hard to find.

You can substitute more anisette or equal parts orange extract and water.

                        Imqaret

Makes about 1 dozen slices

Filling

Place in a dutch oven

200 grams dates

1 Tablespoon anisette

1 Tablespoon orange flower water

grated rind of 1 lemon

grated rind of 1 orange

grated rind of 1 tangerine

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/8 Cup water

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Pastry

In a large bowl place

200 grams flour

25 grams sugar

25 grams lard

25 grams margarine

Rub the fat into the sugar / flour mixture.

Add

1 Tablespoon anisette

1 Tablespoon orange flower water

Mix to make a dough you can roll out.

Add more liquid if needed.

Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. 

Roll out the dough into long strips, about 4 inches wide.

Place some date mixture along half of the strip to within 1/4 inch of the edges.

Wet the edges of the pastry with water and fold the pastry over to cover the filling.

Press the edges well together.

Cut on the diagonal to form diamond shapes.

It won't be like ravioli, in that some of the filling will show in the places where the pastry has been cut.

Don't worry - it won't ooze out.

In a deep saucepan or deep fryer pour

about 2 inches vegetable oil

Heat to 375º on a deep-fry thermometer or test with dough.

Place a few imqaret into the hot oil.

Don't crowd or they won't fry properly.

Fry about 5 minutes.

They should be crisp and golden brown.

Remove the imqaret with a slotted spoon.

Drain on paper towels.

Repeat with the remaining imqaret.

Imqaret are best eaten hot.

A bit of jelly doughnut trivia...

In Germany berliners are traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve as well as during the carnival holidays. 

As a joke they fill some berliners with mustard instead of jam.

Yeah... big yuks.

You can't play any tricks with an imqaret.

You can see what is inside.