Maltese
Qagħaq tal-Għasel (Maltese Honey Rings)
Traditional Maltese honey rings filled with treacle, citrus, spices, and semolina. A fragrant festive sweet with a rich, sticky centre.
Traditional Maltese honey rings filled with treacle, citrus, spices, and semolina. A fragrant festive sweet with a rich, sticky centre.
Bright, satisfying and built for real life.
This recipe brings together the generous flavours of Maltese cooking in a format that works on a busy day. Read through the method before starting and adjust seasoning to your taste.
Ingredient notes & swaps
- Dark baking molasses can replace black treacle, as the ingredient list allows. Avoid blackstrap unless you want a much more bitter filling; honey and golden syrup change the flavour despite the name 'honey rings'. Use wheat semolina, not instant couscous or cornmeal. See the treacle and semolina notes.
The recipe
Qagħaq tal-Għasel (Maltese Honey Rings)
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- 1
Make the pastry: Rub the butter or margarine into the flour and salt. Add water gradually to form a smooth, firm dough. Cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- 2
Cook the filling: Warm the treacle, water, sugar, citrus zest, cinnamon, aniseed, cloves, and cocoa if using in a saucepan. Stir in the semolina and cook gently for 5-8 minutes until thick. Cool completely before shaping.
- 3
Shape the rings: Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 170°C). Roll the pastry into long strips about 8-10cm wide. Spoon the filling along each strip, fold the pastry around it, and seal the edge. Join the ends to form rings.
- 4
Decorate: Make small slashes around the top of each ring with a sharp knife so the filling shows slightly.
- 5
Bake: Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden. Cool before serving.
Qagħaq tal-Għasel are traditional Maltese honey rings, though the filling is usually made with treacle rather than honey. They are fragrant with citrus, spice, and aniseed, and are especially associated with Christmas and winter gatherings.
Ingredient Substitutions Outside Malta
Dark baking molasses can replace black treacle, as the ingredient list allows. Avoid blackstrap unless you want a much more bitter filling; honey and golden syrup change the flavour despite the name 'honey rings'. Use wheat semolina, not instant couscous or cornmeal. See the treacle and semolina notes.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve at room temperature with coffee or tea
- Cut larger rings into slices for sharing
- Add to a Christmas sweet platter
- Store in an airtight tin once cooled
Traditional Notes & Tips
- Despite the name, treacle is the usual base for the filling
- The filling must cool before it is wrapped in pastry
- The small slashes are traditional and let the dark filling peek through
- Do not overbake; the pastry should stay relatively pale
- The flavour improves after a day of resting
Recipe adapted from Maltese Recipes.
Storage
No specific storage guidance is provided in the source recipe.
Freezing
Check the recipe notes for any dish-specific freezing guidance.
Reheating
Follow current food-safety guidance and reheat cooked food thoroughly where appropriate.
Keep cooking
You might also like
115 minMaltese · Oven
Pastizzi tal-Piżelli (Maltese Pea Pastries)
Classic Maltese flaky pastries filled with spiced mushy peas. Crisp, savoury, and a favourite from every pastizzeria.
50 minMaltese · Oven
Qassatat tal-Inċova (Anchovy Pies)
Bake Maltese qassatat with shortcrust pastry and a bold anchovy, tomato, caper, and olive filling. This traditional recipe makes 8–10 savoury pies.
70 minMaltese · Oven
Qassatat tal-Piżelli (Maltese Pea Pies)
Make traditional Maltese qassatat with shortcrust pastry and a warmly spiced split-pea filling. A bakery-style recipe for 8–10 savoury pies.