CARAMEL EGG PUDDING

This traditional homemade Caramel Egg Pudding is a must of the Portuguese cuisine, available in every restaurant menu, from top North to bottom South of Portugal. Ideal to complement a great meal or to serve at teatime, this pudding is easy to cook and not expensive at all. Can be cooked in different sizes or shapes, according to your molds or appetite.
To get the best result on this recipe I’ve talked to Teresa Tavares, my long time friend here in Macau. She is an expert cooking this pudding and I’m here to share with you some tips I receive from her.

YOU WILL NEED (serves 8):
Pudding
1 litre / 35 ¼ fl oz of full cream milk;
350 gr / 12 ¼ oz of sugar;
10 whole eggs;
2 gelatine leaves;
Lemon peel;
Cinnamon sticks (1 or 2);
Vanilla pod (optional);
Caramelized sugar
6 to 8 tablespoons of sugar;
4 tablespoons of water;
Drops of vinegar or lemon juice;
Mold
Steam Pudding mold with 20 cm / 8 inch diameter.

METHOD:

In a thick bottom pan or skillet, over medium heat, place sugar, water and drops of vinegar or lemon juice. Bring it to a boil during a few minutes. Stir to allow sugar to cook consistently. Continue boiling until the liquid is the color of amber. Cut the heat and drop the liquid into the mold to coat it homogeneously. Don’t leave the liquid in the pan, even after cut the heat, because it will continue to cook and become to dark;
Over medium heat, bring the milk with lemon peel, cinnamon sticks and vanilla pod to a simmer. After start boil, cut the heat, discard lemon peel, cinnamon and vanilla;
Add pre-washed gelatine leaves to the hot milk and stir until dissolved;
In a bowl, beat eggs and sugar until thick and creamy;
Add the hot milk to the bowl, dash-by-dash, whisking constantly to avoid curdles;
Run the mixture through a sifter to avoid possible egg chunks or any curdles;
Pour the mixture into the caramel coated mold and cover with the lid;
Using a large pot prepare a water bath to cook the pudding in a Bain-Marie (double-boiler) over the stovetop (the water level should cover 2/3 of the mold). After start boiling, turn the heat low and place the pudding mold inside the water bath. Allow it to cook around 25 minutes. Check the cooking point by stick a spaghetti line into the pudding (if it comes out dry, the pudding is cooked). Cut the heat and, very gently, remove the pudding mold from the Bain-Marie;
Allow the pudding to cool at the refrigerator before removing it from the mold and serve;

VARIATION ON A BOLO REI RECIPE

(CHRISTMAS KING CAKE)

Bolo Rei (King Cake) is a must over a traditional Portuguese Christmas table. This kind of sweet bread with a hole in the centre, decorated with candied fruit and nuts, is commonly enjoyed on Christmas (December 25th), New Year’s Eve and Kings Day (January 6th).
It is suspected to have arrived in Portugal around the end of 17th century, from the France of Luis XIV, named as a “Gâteau dês Róis”. Quickly became popular in Lisbon and then throughout all the country.
Traditionally this cake hides a fava bean in its dough witch represents lucky. Some consider the finder of the fava bean as the king of the celebration. Others commit the finder to buy or to bake the next Bolo Rei, so be aware of “fava bean evaders”!
My Princess doesn’t like candied fruit or raisins in this royal cake usual composition, so I switched it for cranberries, blueberries and several kinds of nuts to suit her taste. As a matter of fact, Christmas is all about caring and sharing, right?!

YOU WILL NEED:
900 gr / 1 lb and 15 ¾ oz of all purpose flour or bread flour;
50 gr / 1 ¾ oz of active dry yeast;
50 ml / 1 3/4 fl oz of warm milk;
350 gr / 12 ¼ oz of sugar;
5 eggs;
Scrapings of 1 orange;
Scrapings of 1 lemon;
Pinch of salt;
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon;
100 ml / 3 1/2 fl oz of black beer;
100 gr / 3 ½ oz of butter, melted;
100 ml / 3 ½ fl oz of Port Wine;
75 gr / 2 ½ oz of pine seeds;
75 gr / 2 ½ oz of walnuts;
75 gr / 2 ½ oz of almonds;
75 gr / 2 ½ oz of Brazil nuts;
100 gr / 3 ½ oz of dried cranberries;
75 gr / 2 ½ oz of dried blueberries;
Egg wash;
Dried figs for decoration;
Dried dates for decoration;
4 tablespoons of apricot jam;
Icing sugar to dust the cake;
Butter to grease;
Flour to dust;

METHOD:
Spread all the nuts on a baking sheet and take it to the oven for a very light toast;
Chop coarsely all the nuts, saving some for the decoration;
Soak the chopped nuts, cranberries and blueberries in Port Wine and reserve until you need to incorporate it in the dough;
Dissolve active yeast with warm milk and let it stand for 10 minutes;
In a large bowl incorporate the dissolved yeast with 250 gr / 8 ¾ oz of flour and mix very well. Add water or dust with flour to handle the mix until soft, rolling the dough into a ball;
Place the bowl in a warm place and let it rise for 1 hour;
To the dough ball incorporate the remaining flour (650 gr / 1 lb and 7 oz), sugar, orange and lemon scrapings, a pinch of salt, cinnamon, black beer and mix everything very well;
Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each;
Incorporate melted butter and mix well;
Add some extra flour if the dough is too sticky and knead it bringing in sides until it is soft and elastic;
Add nuts, berries and Port Wine mix and incorporate everything very well;
Dust the dough with flour and keep it in a warm place to rise again until doubled in size, around 90 minutes;
Grease a baking sheet with butter and dust it with flour, tapping out any excess;
Once dough has doubled place it on the prepared baking sheet, dust with flour and form a large ring with a hole in the centre;
Wrap fava bean in baking paper and insert it into the dough ring, concealing it as best as possible (optional step);
Leave the ring to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes more;
Preheat your oven to 180º C / 350º F;
Mix egg yolk with a little water to make egg wash and brush top and sides of the ring;
Decorate with reserved nuts, dried figs and dates or extra cranberries (you can chose a different decoration);
Bake it in the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown;
When baked, remove the cake from the oven and brush top and sides with apricot jam;
To finish, dust some parts of the ring with icing sugar, with the help of a tea sieve, and allow your Bolo Rei to cool a while.
A Merry, Merry Christmas to all of you*.

*published on Macau Daily Times of December, 18th, 2010.

CHEESECAKE, A SUMMER CAKE

Cheesecakes are made normally from soft fresh chesses with other ingredients such as sugar, eggs, flour, condensed milk or cream. Typically, the base is a crust made from pastry, cookie, digestive biscuit or similar. British cheesecakes are usually creamy with a biscuit base and a top were you can find a large variety of flavors and ingredients. To decorate the top of the cake, you can use chocolate, red fruits, gelatin, jam or other ingredients of your choice. Feel free to create your own cheesecake recipe.
This is just one more variation of a creamy cheesecake, a bit fancy but very attractive because of its colorful look. Hope you like it.

YOU WILL NEED:
30 cm / 12 inch diameter springform cake tin (with loose base);
250 gr / 8 ¾ oz of digestive biscuits, smashed (enough to make a base with 5 mm / 0.2 inches);
50 g / 1 ¾ of butter, melted;
1 condensed milk can;
250 ml / 8 ¾ oz of cream;
200 gr / 7 ¼ oz of strawberry or plain cream cheese (I use 1 box of Philadelphia);
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon;
2 small gelatin bags, flavored (I use red fruits flavor);
Red fruits of your choice.

METHOD:
Grease lightly the springform cake tin with vegetable spray;
Smash up the digestive biscuits and mix it with melted butter to form a base inside of the cake. Use a glass bottom to make it plane or simply do it with your hands;
Leave it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes;
Dissolve one gelatin bag in 50 ml / 1 ¾ fl oz of boiling water and let it cool down;
Beat cream at medium speed until cream starts to thicken;
Add condensed milk and cream cheese, mixing it very well;
Add cold gelatin and lemon juice and mix once more;
Pour all mix into the cake tin and make it plane with a spatula;
Leave it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours;
Dissolve the other gelatin bag in 250 ml / 8 ¾ fl oz of boiling water and leave it to cool in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes (must be cold but not starting to solidify)
Decorate the cake with red fruits and pour over it, very gently, spoon by spoon, the cold gelatin;
Leave it in the refrigerator until became solid.
When you decide to serve it, leave the cheesecake out of the refrigerator for 10 minutes before you open the tin to remove the rim.

ALMOND, EGGS AND GILA SQUASH MARMELADE CAKE

If we talk about Portuguese conventual sweets it is almost impossible to find a single recipe without eggs or almonds. But if we go down South of Portugal, to Alentejo or Algarve, we must add to eggs and almond another important ingredient: Gila squash marmelade. This very peculiar type of squash got its Portuguese name from Chila-caiota or chilacayote, due to the South-American name, and its name in English is fig-leaf gourd, due to the Latin name cucurbita ficifolia, which means squash with fig leaf.
Gila marmelade filaments, almost like sweet crystal noodles, create an amazing paste when involved with egg yolks and ground almond. Then you just need to add a few more ingredients of your own preference like I did in this recipe. If you really can’t find Gila marmelade (doce de Gila), feel free to replace it by another fruit marmelade of your choice, keeping the other listed ingredients.

YOU WILL NEED:
300 gr / 10 ½ oz of peeled almonds;
300 gr / 10 ½ Gila squash marmelade;
200 gr / 7 ¼ oz of sugar;
2 eggs;
10 egg yolks;
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour;
1 teaspoon of baking powder;
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon;
Scrapings of 1 orange;
1 pear, peeled;
Butter and flour to grease and dust cake pan;
Icing sugar and ground cinnamon to dust the cake;
Round cake pan with 30 cm / 12 inch diameter.

METHOD:

Soak almonds in boiled water for 5 to 10 minutes. Peal, dry and ground it.
Preheat your oven to 180º C / 350º F;
Grease the cake pan with vegetable spray or butter and dust it lightly with flour, tapping out any excess;
Beat together in a bowl eggs, egg yolks, sugar, grounded almond and Gila squash marmalade;
Add flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, orange scrapings and beat again;
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan;
Peal and deseed pear and slice it;
Place pear slices over the cake batter very gently;
Bake it immediately in preheated oven to 180ºC / 350ºF during 45 minutes – until is baked but not too dry;
Remove from oven and let it cool a bit before removing from the pan;
Dust with icing sugar and ground cinnamon and serve.

RED WINE POACHED PEARS

Although considered a winter dessert, this recipe is a very good option for a summer meal since you leave your Red Wine Poached Pears to rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour, which will transform it in a very refreshing dessert.
The most common Portuguese name for this dessert is “drunken pears” due to the obvious absorption of the red wine colour and flavour.
Right before you serve it, spoon the sauce over the standing pears and you will see that thicker red wine “syrup” rolling down in big drops, stimulating your appetite for it.
Chose a good size and quality pears, ripe but firm, and peal it carefully, leaving it whole.
You can serve these pears with ice cream or “crème fraîche” making a decoration according to your inspiration.

YOU WILL NEED (Serves 4):
4 good size pears
500 ml / 17 ½ fl oz of red wine;
150 gr / 5 ¼ oz of sugar;
1 or 2 cinnamon sticks;
1 dried clove bud (optional);
1 lemon, juice and skin;
50 ml / 1 ¾ fl oz of Port wine.

METHOD:

Peal the pears very gently and make a base by cutting a thin slice at the bottom;
Marinate it in lemon juice to avoid oxidation;
In a small and deep saucepan combine wine, sugar, cinnamon stick, dried clove bud and lemon skin;
Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low;
Place the pears upright into the saucepan and poach it for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size and ripeness (if the liquor is not enough to cover the pears upright, turn it very gently a few times to obtain a homogenous poaching point;
Remove the pears very gently from the saucepan and place it upright on the serving plate. Leave it to rest in the refrigerator;
Add Port wine to the poaching liquor and reduce it until thickened, to form a sauce;
Allow the sauce to cool in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or until you serve;
Spoon the sauce over the pears right before you serve it.

MALVA POEDING

(Malva Pudding)

Malva Poeding is the Afrikaans name for Malva Pudding, a recipe of Dutch origin, transplanted to South Africa where it is now a traditional dessert in every home kitchen or restaurant. According to some suggestions, Malva Pudding name came from the traditional accompaniment of Malvasia wine, a dessert wine from Madeira Island. Others say the name derived from a woman named Malva, who created this recipe back in the mists of time. Anyhow, the name origin is not important compared with the delicious and unforgettable flavor of this dessert.
My friend Kitta, a lovely Afrikaans lady living in Witsand, near Cape Town, South Africa, once spending some holidays in Macau, gave me this recipe to try and it became a instant success in my kitchen. A private success, for a start, to avoid some friends gluttony.
This sweet pudding, made with apricot jam, has a caramelized flavor and a spongy texture. With the sauce incorporated into the Malva Pudding, you hardly need anything else to accompany it, but usually it is served hot with custard or ice cream. I think a Port Wine will match perfectly.

YOU WILL NEED:
CAKE:
1 cup of all-purpose flour;
1 cup of milk;
1 cup of sugar;
1 tablespoon of butter;
1 egg;
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda;
2 tablespoons of apricot jam;
1 teaspoon of lemon juice (or vinegar);
Pinch of salt
Round cake pan with 25 cm / 10 inch diameter.

SAUCE:
½ can of evaporated milk;
½ cup of sugar;
½ cup of hot water;
2 tablespoons of butter;
½ pod of vanilla (or a teaspoon of vanilla essence).

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 180º C / 350º F;
Cream together the butter and sugar;
Add the beaten egg and jam and beat together;
Add lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda (dissolved with a spoon of milk);
Then, start to add alternately milk and flour until everything is well mixed;
Grease the cake pan with vegetable spray or butter and dust it lightly with flour, tapping out any excess;
Pour the batter into the greased cake pan and bake it in preheated oven to 175ºC / 350ºF during 45 to 60 minutes (you need to adjust to your oven performance. It must be cooked homogeneously);
Meantime, prepare the sauce by cooking together all the ingredients on low heat for around 2 or 3 minutes, stirring all the time;
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool a bit before removing it from the pan;
Gently, moisten the cake with the sauce and let it cool down;
Serve hot with custard or ice cream.

CHILI CHOCOLATE FONDANT

In both the Mayan and Aztec cultures, cocoa was the basis for a thick, cold, unsweetened drink called “xocoatl”, believed to be a health elixir. Since sugar was unknown to the Aztecs, different spices were used to add flavor, even hot chili peppers. So we can’t say this is a new recipe at all.
Not as a drink but as a fondant or “lava cake”, you can try to do something special and exotic to your dessert. It’s very funny when you keep secret of this chili hint and your family or gests start to notice something new among this small chocolate cake.
Of course you can always reduce the amount of chili if it’s too hot for you.
It’s a very easy recipe to prepare and the only important point is not to over bake the fondants, as the basic idea is to get a outer part cooked and a inner part quite liquid, remembering lava flowing from a volcano when you cut the cake. So, study your oven and if you over bake it at the first and second times, don’t give up, you will get it perfect next time. If you don’t bake it enough, just imagine you are eating a good chocolate mousse. But never, never throw it away because this is a health elixir, as you will notice!

YOU WILL NEED (Serves 4):
200 gr / 7 ¼ oz of good quality dark chocolate;
120 gr / 4 ¼ oz of butter, plus extra to grease, at room temperature;
15 gr / ½ oz of sugar;
4 eggs;
40 gr / 1 ½ oz of all purpose flour, sifted;
1 teaspoon of chili powder;
Cocoa powder, to dust;
Icing sugar, to dust;
4 ceramic ramekins with 7,5 cm / 3 inch diameter.

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 200º C / 392º F;
Slowly melt chocolate and butter using a double boiler method (a small bowl over a pan of simmering water);
Remove from the heat and whisk very well;
Leave to cool for 10 to 15 minutes;
Incorporate the eggs, one by one, whisking the mixture very well;
Add sugar, flour and chili and incorporate very well;
Grease the ceramic ramekins with butter and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess;
Divide the chocolate mixture between the ramekins and bake for around 12 minutes in preheated oven to 200ºC / 392ºF – remember, the outer part should be cooked and the inner part still liquid;
Remove from oven and let it cool a bit before removing from the ramekins;
Turn very gently the chili chocolate fondants out on to warmed plates. Dust the tops with icing sugar and serve;
A perfect mach for this dessert will be a vanilla, lemon, orange or passion fruit ice cream or sorbet.

A SWEET CHRISTMAS FOR YOU

CHRISTMAS, this consensual Season.
If you look for the meaning of Christmas in to a Dictionary or an encyclopedia, you will find something like “The annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth”. Although a Christian holiday, Christmas is widely celebrated by millions of non-Christians, all around the world. But Christmas is much more then this celebration. Christmas is tolerance, compassion, blessing, sharing and so many other noble feelings people should practice everyday… Never forget, Christmas is every time people want!
Of course, Christmas is also a relaxing season to be with your family and friends, to stay home, to cook, to seat around the dining table, eating and talking. That’s why I say Christmas is SWEET, VERY SWEET…
This Christmas I selected three different delicacies from Portugal, traditionally prepared in this Season to stand over the table as far as it lasts.
All are deep-fried in vegetable oil and powdered with granulated sugar mixed with ground cinnamon. But all with a low portion of sugar in its composition. So, don’t be scared.
SONHOS, The Portuguese word for “dreams”, is basically a deep fried batter of boiled pumpkin pure with all-purpose flour and egg.
FILHÓS is a deep fried dough molded in a flat square shape. It is a combination of all-purpose flour, orange juice, boiled fennel water, aguardente (same kind of Italian grappa), some sugar and oil or butter.
PASTEIS DE GRÃO are small pies shaped in pillows. Using the same dough of the previous FILHÓS, pillows are stuffed with a paste made from chickpeas pure, almond, sugar, orange juice and egg yolk.
As this three recipes have basically the same ingredients, you can prepare it all at the same time and use the same vegetable oil to fry it. I’m sure you will like all of this suggestions.
Wish you all a VERY SWEET CHRISTMAS.

SONHOS

YOU WILL NEED:
500 gr / 1 lb and 1 ½ oz of boiled pumpkin;
325 gr / 11 ½ oz of all-purpose flour;
1 tablespoon of yeast;
3 eggs;
Pinch of salt;
Vegetable oil to fry;
Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to powder.

METHOD:
Chose a pumpkin of good quality, with a sharp orange color, with more then 1 kg / 2 lb and 3 ¼ oz (you should get 500 gr / 1 lb and 1 ½ oz of pulp). Remove seeds and skin and boil it covered with water for around 20 minutes;
Drain the boiled pumpkin using a sifter and reserve it until cold;
In a bowl, using a fork, smash the pulp making a pure;
Wisk organic yeast in one or two tablespoons of warm water and add it to the pumpkin pure;
Gradually, add all-purpose flour to the pure and incorporate it very well;
Add the whole eggs and a pinch of salt and incorporate it very well again;
Reserve your batter in a warm place (ideal around 35º C / 95º F) and let it probe for around 40 minutes;
In a frying pan or pot, heat a good portion of vegetable oil (should be deep enough to allow the fritters to float);
Using an ice-cream spoon or two tablespoons, shape small balls of batter and fry it until golden brown (the size of ice-cream balls);
Place over paper towels to dry;
Powder the fritters all around with mixed granulated sugar with ground cinnamon and let it cool before serve.

FILHÓS

YOU WILL NEED:
700 gr / 1 lb and 8 ¾ oz of all-purpose flour;
1 egg;
Pinch of salt;
Juice of one orange;
1 cup of boiled fennel seeds filtered water (at least 2 tablespoons of seeds);
2 tablespoons of sugar;
50 cl / 1 ¾ fl oz of aguardente (or grappa, or cognaque);
2 to 3 tablespoons of butter or vegetable oil;
Vegetable oil to fry;
Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to powder.

METHOD:
If you want to knead the dough by yourself, prepare all ingredients before. If you use a bread machine or similar to knead it, just follow the same ingredients adding order;
Pile the flour on to a clean surface and make a well in the centre. Into the well, pour the egg, half the boiled fennel seeds filtered water, pinch of salt, orange juice and sugar. Start to bring the flour in to the centre until the flour absorbs all liquids;
Add remaining fennel seeds water, butter, aguardente and continue to knead until it's well incorporated;
Flour your hands and knead the dough, pushing, folding and rolling it around, over and over, for at least 10 minutes until you have a soft elastic dough (adjust with a little more butter if it isn’t with a good consistency to mould);
In a warm place (ideal around 35º C / 95º F) allow it to rest for about 40 minutes;
Flour a clean surface and pick up small portions of dough. Use your fingers and lightly press the dough flat. You have now prepared the dough for rolling. Use a rolling pin and further flatten it in rectangles (A5 paper size), as thinner as you can (you can save half of this dough to make the next recipe);
Use a knife to shape the fritters, removing the dough excess. Make some slashes along the rectangles to allow a better and faster fry;
In a frying pan or pot, heat a good portion of vegetable oil (should be deep enough to allow the fritters to float);
Fry your rectangles until golden brown and remove it gently from the frying pan;
Place over paper towels to dry;
Powder the fritters all around with mixed granulated sugar with ground cinnamon and let it cool before serve.

PASTEIS DE GRÃO

YOU WILL NEED:

DOUGH:
You can use half of the FILHÓS dough to make this recipe, or make a dough with half of those mentioned ingredients, following the same method.

STUFFING:
200 gr / 7 ¼ oz of boiled chickpeas;
100 gr / 3 ½ oz of peeled almond slices;
150 gr / 5 ¼ oz of sugar;
Juice and zests of one orange;
2 egg yolks;
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon;
Vegetable oil to fry;
Granulated sugar and ground cinnamon to powder.

METHOD:
Use canned and boiled chickpeas to save time. Just wash and boil it for 10 minutes more;
Drain the boiled chickpeas using a sifter and make a pure in a blender;
In a small pot, bring sugar to a clear liquid stage (160º C / 320º F);
Add chickpeas pure and almond slices. Stir very well;
Add orange juice and zests and stir again;
On low heat, add cinnamon and egg yolks and keep stirring;
Cut the heat when you have a pure with a good consistence to stuff your fritters. Let it cool down;
Now you can stuff your fritters. Flour a clean surface and pick up small portions of dough. Use your fingers and lightly press the dough flat. Use a rolling pin and further flatten the balls into 15 cm / 6 inch circles, as thinner as you can;
Place a proportional spoon of pure in the center of your dough circles and fold it in a half moon shape, closing it with your fingers. If you need, use a brush with water to wet the dough and close it better.
In a frying pan or pot, heat a good portion of vegetable oil (should be deep enough to allow the fritters to float);
Fry your fritters until golden brown and remove it gently from the frying pan;
Place over paper towels to dry;
Powder the fritters all around with mixed granulated sugar with ground cinnamon and let it cool before serve.

WALNUT AND BROWN SUGAR BROAS COOKIES

Broas cookies are a kind of leaf shaped cookies very traditional in Portugal, especially during religious feasts.
Different kind of broas are cooked all around the country such as corn flour broas (broas de milho), sweet potato broas (broas castelar) and this walnut and brown sugar broas originally from Abrantes, a center region city on the right bank of river Tagus.
The bread made from corn flour or rye flour is also named as broa but today we talk about the cookies. These cookies are perfect to cook and store for a long time, always ready to follow you in a cup of coffee or tea.
Anise powder and cinnamon sticks give these cookies a peculiar flavor that you will like for sure. Try it!

YOU WILL NEED:
500 ml / 17 ½ fl oz of water;
250 ml / 8 ¾ fl oz of extra virgin olive oil
500 gr / 17 ½ oz of brown sugar;
150 gr / 5 ¼ oz of walnuts, chopped
10 gr / 1/3 oz of anise powder;
15 gr / ½ oz of cinnamon sticks;
500 gr / 17 ½ oz of all purpose flour;
2 tablespoons of corn flour;

METHOD:
First step:

In a saucepan incorporate very well water, extra virgin olive oil, brown sugar, walnuts chopped, anise powder and cinnamon sticks;
Bring this mix to a boil for around 5 minutes, cut the heat and let it cool;

Second step:

To the warm mix add all purpose flour and corn flour;
Always stirring, let it cook in medium heat till the mix is strong as a bread dough and with a little more dark brown color (around 10 to 15 minutes in a very strengthening exercise to your arms);
Let it cool again till you can shape the cookies with your hands;

Third step:

Remove the cinnamon sticks;
Leaf shape the broas cookies with no more then 7.5 cm / 3 inches;
Place on a prepared baking tray and bake it in preheated oven to 220º C / 430º F during 10 to 15 minutes;
After bake sprinkle the top with sugar and let it cool.

ARROZ DOCE – PORTUGUESE RICE PUDDING

Rice, amazing rice.
One of the most amazing foods that nature has given to man is rice. It is a staple food that can be grown in most parts of the world and capable to help to stop world hunger. International Rice Research Institute says that half of world’s population depends on rice to live. It furnishes the body with many elements that makes it an ideal food where other food is not obtainable.
Rice is also one of the most versatile ingredients. It can adapt to any dish and is used in many different cultures for all types of meals. Therefore, rice is often served as base ingredient of a great selection of dessert recepies.
Arroz doce, a portuguese recepie, classified as a sweet rice or a rice pudding, is cooked entirely on top of the stove in a risotto like manner. Traditionally, it is thickened and enriched further with egg yolks but also gets a very soft texture even without them, as is usual in some regions of Portugal. If you try once, I think you will try twice or more… Let’s go!

YOU WILL NEED:
400 ml / 14 ¼ fl oz of water;
half coffee spoon of salt;
2 teaspoons of butter;
3 fresh lemon rinds (use a vegetable peeler for big pieces easier removal);
3 cinnamon sticks;
250 gr / 8 ¾ oz of rice (short grain white rice is the best for this purpose but you can use your usual cooking rice);
1 litre / 35 ¼ fl oz of milk;
250 gr / 8 ¾ oz of sugar;
4 egg yolks;
Ground cinnamon to garnish.

METHOD:

Use low fire in all steps.
1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan;
2. Add salt, butter, lemon rinds and cinnamon sticks and cover for 2 minutes;
3. Add rice, stirring constantly until the water is absorbed;
4. Always stirring, add the milk, step by step in small portions, as in a risotto cooking manner (save some tablespoons of milk to mix with egg yolks and sugar);
5. Mix remaining milk with egg yolks and sugar;
6. Add this mix to the rice and keep on stirring for 5 minutes more;
7. Cut the fire and remove lemon rinds and cinnamon sticks;
8. Pour into one large serving plate and let it cool for 10 minutes (instead of a large serving plate, you can pour it into individual shallow cups;
9. decorate the top with ground cinnamon by pinching a bit between your fingers with your hand placed very near the rice or simply dust the entire top.

MALVA POEDING - MALVA PUDDING

Malva Poeding is the Afrikaans name for Malva Pudding, a recipe of Dutch origin, transplanted to South Africa where it is now a traditional dessert in every home kitchen or restaurant. According to some suggestions, Malva Pudding name came from the traditional accompaniment of Malvasia wine, a dessert wine from Madeira Island. Others say the name derived from a woman named Malva, who created this recipe back in the mists of time. Anyhow, the name origin is not important compared with the delicious and unforgettable flavor of this dessert.
My friend Kitta, a lovely Afrikaans lady living in Witsand, near Cape Town, South Africa, once spending some holidays in Macau, gave me this recipe to try and it became a instant success in my kitchen. A private success, for a start, to avoid some friends gluttony.
This sweet pudding, made with apricot jam, has a caramelized flavor and a spongy texture. With the sauce incorporated into the Malva Pudding, you hardly need anything else to accompany it, but usually it is served hot with custard or ice cream. I think a Port Wine will match perfectly.

YOU WILL NEED:

CAKE:
1 cup of all-purpose flour;
1 cup of milk;
1 cup of sugar;
1 tablespoon of butter;
1 egg;
1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda;
2 tablespoons of apricot jam;
1 teaspoon of lemon juice (or vinegar);
Pinch of salt
Round cake pan with 25 cm / 10 inch diameter.

SAUCE:
½ can of evaporated milk;
½ cup of sugar;
½ cup of hot water;
2 tablespoons of butter;
½ pod of vanilla (or a teaspoon of vanilla essence).

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 180º C / 350º F;
Cream together the butter and sugar;
Add the beaten egg and jam and beat together;
Add lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda (dissolved with a spoon of milk);
Then, start to add alternately milk and flour until everything is well mixed;
Grease the cake pan with vegetable spray or butter and dust it lightly with flour, tapping out any excess;
Pour the batter into the greased cake pan and bake it in preheated oven to 175ºC / 350ºF during 45 to 60 minutes (you need to adjust to your oven performance. It must be cooked homogeneously);
Meantime, prepare the sauce by cooking together all the ingredients on low heat for around 2 or 3 minutes, stirring all the time;
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool a bit before removing it from the pan;
Gently, moisten the cake with the sauce and let it cool down;
Serve hot with custard or ice cream.