The European Class

 Christmas is very important to the people of Malta. Most people on Malta are Catholics and go to Midnight Mass.

The churches are decorated with lights and nativity cribs. Today some of the cribs are mechanical and the figures in them  move. There is a group on malta called friends of the crib who help to keep the maltese crib tradition alive.

Children on Malta get their presents from santa claus on christmas night.Sometimes, father  christmas comes knocking at doors early on christmas night delivering presents.

Maltese people have a wide range of food at Christmas. Traditionally, the Maltese house- wife keeps the fattest rooster,’hasi’ , especially for Christmas lunch, which was roasted at the local bakery in a casserole full of potatoes and vegetables. The traditional dessert served at a Christmas is the Treacle Ring, and to finish it off,a hot Chestnut and cocoa soup, which was and is served as a cosy night cap during the December days in Malta.

Christmas dinner is never eaten until after midnight.It is a family feast, and often highlighted with «Pavo Trufado de navidad» (Christmas turkey with truffles).

After the meal, family members gather around the Christmas tree and sing Christmas carols and hymns of Christendom. For midnight service, people walk through the streets carrying torches, playing guitars and beating on drums. One Spanish saying is « Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no es noche de dormir », « Tonight is the good night and it is not meant for sleeping! ».

Some children believe that the Kings brings presents to them at Epiphany. They write letters to the King on Boxing Day, December 26^th, asking for toys and presents.And on Epiphany Eve(January 5^th) they leave shoes on windowsills or balconies or under the Christmas Tree to be filled with presents. Gifts are often left by children for the kings, a glass of cognac for each King, a satsuma and some walnuts. Sometimes a bucket of water is left for the camels that bring the kings! If the children have been bad, the kings might leave pieces of coal made out of sugar in the presents!

Summer pudding

*750g mixed soft fruits(blackcurrants, redcurrants, raspberries or blackberries)

*100g caster sugar

*100-150g stale white bread (with crusts cut off) in slices 1cm thick

Gently heat fruit and sugar in saucepan for five minutes until juices run. Place bread along the sides and base of a 900ml pudding bowl without leaving gaps. Keep 2 slices for the top. Pour juice and fruit into the bowl, saving 2 tablespoons of juice. Cover top with last two slices of bread. Put plate over top and put a weight on it (a tin, for example). Place in fridge overnight. To take the pudding out of the mould, put large plate over the top and invert pudding. Add the juice you saved to cover bread that is still white.

Pudding.

*750g de mélange de fruits mous(cassis, groseilles, framboises, mûrs)

*100g de sucre en poudre

*100-150g de pain rassi(dont on aura enlevé la croûte) d’une épaisseur d’un cm

Chauffer doucement les fruits et le sucre dans une casserole pendant 5mn jusqu’à ce que le jus coule. Placer le pain le long des côtés et au fond d’un bol à pudding sans laisser de trous. Garder 2 tranches de pain pour le dessus. Verser le jus et les fruits dans le bol en mettant deux cuillères à soupe de côté. Couvrir le dessus avec les deux dernières tranches de pain. Mettre une assiette sur le dessus(un moule par exemple)et mettre un poids dessus. Mettre au frigo pendant une nuit. Pour démouler le pudding mettre une grande assiette dessus et retourner le pudding. Ajouter le jus mis de côté pour le pain qui est encore blanc. 

APPLE CRUMBLE

Ingredients :

700 gm apples

85 gm of butter or margarine

170 gm soft brown sugar

Some ground cinnamon (optional)

170 gm  flour

pinch of salt

Method :

1- Peel, core and chop the apples (in big segments)

2- Take about 110 gm of sugar. Place alternate layers of apple and sugar in a pie dish. Cinnamon can be sprinkled over each layer.

3- Place in an oven at 190°C, Gas Mark 5 for 15 minutes.

4- Meanwhile, place the flour and salt in a bowl and mix together.

5- Rub in the butter.

6- Stir in the rest of the sugar.

7- Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle with the pastry crumbs.

8- Replace in the oven at 180°C, Gas Mark for 45 minutes.

9- Serve hot or cold with liquid fresh cream. (If yours is too thick, dilute it first with some cold milk)

CRUMBLE AUX POMMES

Ingrédients :

700 g de pommes

85 g de beurre ou de margarine

170g de sucre brun

un peu de cannelle moulue

170g de farine

1 pincée de sel

Préparation :

1- Peler, épépiner et couper les pommes en morceaux (en grands quartiers)

2- Prendre environ 110g de sucre. Alterner les couches de pommes et les couches de sucre dans un plat à tarte. On peut parsemer de la cannelle sur chaque couche.

3- Placer au four à 190°C, thermostat 5 pendant 15 min.

4- Pendant ce temps, mettre la farine et le sel dans une cuve et mélanger le tout.

5- Incorporer le beurre en sablant.

6- Ajouter le reste du sucre en remuant.

7- Enlever le plat du four à 180°C, thermostat 4 pendant 45 min.

9 Servir chaud ou froid avec de la crème fraiche liquide. (Si la vôtre est trop épaisse commencer par la diluer avec un peu de lait)