Maltese ricotta pastizzi (Pastizzi)

1. Leave the ricotta to drain in a sieve for 30 minutes so the filling isn't watery.

2. In a bowl beat the ricotta smooth with 1 egg and a pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Unroll the puff pastry and cut out 8 cm circles (or squares); place a heaped teaspoon of filling in the centre of each.

4. Fold the pastry in half and press the edges together so the middle stays slightly open – this gives pastizzi their characteristic boat shape.

5. Place on a lined baking sheet, brush with the rest of the beaten egg and bake at 200 °C for 20-25 minutes until puffed and golden.

6. Serve warm, ideally fresh – in Malta they're eaten for breakfast or as an afternoon snack with tea.

Tip: Pastizzi are Malta's street pastry: after ricotta, the mushy pea curry filling (tal-piżelli) is the most popular; they're originally made from very thinly stretched dough layered with fat, but puff pastry is a good home solution.