Robiols

Step 1: Rub the 3 ½ oz butter into the 14 oz plain flour, 2 ⅞ oz sugar and 1 tsp baking powder until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the ¼ cup light olive oil, 1 egg, ¼ cup fresh orange juice and 1 orange and bring together into a soft dough without kneading. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Step 2: For the cheese filling, mix the 9 oz ricotta (or brossat) with the 1 egg yolk, 1 ¾ oz sugar and 1 lemon until smooth. It should be thick enough to hold a spoonful in a mound.

Step 3: Heat the oven to 350°F and line two trays with baking paper. Roll the dough 3 mm thick between two sheets of paper and cut out 10–11 cm rounds, rerolling the scraps once.

Step 4: Put a heaped teaspoon of cheese filling on half the rounds and of 7 oz pumpkin jam (cabell d'àngel) or apricot jam on the rest, slightly off centre. Fold over into half-moons, press the edges and crimp them by folding the edge over itself in little pleats. A common mistake is overfilling; the dough is tender and splits if stretched.

Step 5: Bake for 18–20 minutes until pale golden with darker edges; they should stay light in colour. Toss them in the 1 ¾ oz caster sugar or icing sugar while still warm and cool on a rack.