Traditional Portuguese desserts: Toucinho Do Céu

-

Toucinho Do Céu


       Toucinho Do Céu, translated literally as "Bacon from Heaven", is a delicious Portuguese almond cake, originating in the Guimarães region of Portugal. It is translated as Bacon from Heaven for two reasons. First, because it uses pork lard to make the cake and secondly, because it is unbelievably delicious. It is one of the most popular and traditional Portuguese dessert, typically seen at many restaurants, and any festivals or events. This is because of its unbelievable flavor coming from such simplicity, making it an integral Portuguese dessert making.

       Most Portuguese desserts use egg yolk and sugar. Why mostly egg yolks? It's because the egg whites are used to clarify wine (like a filter), acting like a brush to sweep out impurities. The wine makers, in the local region, would save the yolks and give them to the nuns at the convents, who make desserts, which were sold, to raise money for the poor.

       There are different versions of this classic dessert sold in pastry shops all over Portugal. There is one made with almonds and one made with gila, a sweet pumpkin jelly.

Toucinho Do Céu with pumpkin jelly
Toucinho Do Céu with almonds



A Little story about Toucino Do Céu

       A convent in the city of Murça, Portugal, is rumored to have first invented this version for the dessert using gila. Some believe the recipe came from the convent of Santa Clara in Guimarães, Portugal. The convent closed in 1910, but 3 displaced nuns carried on the traditional recipes by making pastries to support themselves.

Convent of Santa Clara in Guimarães


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Traditional Portuguese desserts: Bolas de Berlim

-
Image
Bolas de Berlim (Berliner) Bola de Berlim, also known as a Berliner, is a Portuguese version of a doughnut. It's a very popular Portuguese summer pastry, which historically originates in Germany. Bola de Berlim is typically bigger than its German counterpart, and is filled with an egg-based cream (creme pasteleiro, known as confectioner's cream in English) which the Portuguese use in many of their desserts. This is the difference from Germany where Berliners are filled with a variety of jams and icing. In Portugal, they're also called "Sonhos de padaria" which means "Bakery dreams". It's like a doughnut sliced into halves. They are made with sweet dough fried in oil, with some powdered sugar icing on top. It's a staple dessert in Portugal. They're also very popular in the beaches. It's the best selling dessert in many beaches in Portugal. In summer, vendors literally walk around the beaches holding containers filled with
Read more

Traditional Portuguese desserts: Pão-de-Ló

-
Image
Pão-de-Ló (Sponge Cake) The Portuguese Pão de Ló is a rounded cake usually with a hole in the center. It's a very popular cake in Portugal, that is usually eaten in Christmas. With its spongy texture, it's comparable to the English Sponge Cake. The recipe is simple, in the sense that it only has three ingredients: eggs, sugar, and flour. In Portugal, this sponge cake has an array of variation, specific to some regions, and has become a symbol in these areas. The most famous variations are the Ovar's sponge cake, Alfezeizão's sponge cake, and Margaride's sponge cake. Pão-de-Ló de Ovar Ovar's typical sponge cake is shaped like a cornbread and is made of a light, fluffy batter. At the top, the crust is very thin and moist, with a brownish color. The border is made of a creamy batter, with the egg yolk color. Traditionally, it is wrapped in a white linen paper. Little is known about its origins, we only know that it has conventual origins. There
Read more

Traditional Portuguese desserts: Ovos moles de Aveiro

-
Image
Ovos moles de Aveiro (soft eggs de Aveiro)        These are a typical pastry in the area of Aveiro. They are made of a delicious sweet egg yolk paste, wrapped in a wafer-thin pastry shaped like oysters, clams or fish, as a tribute to the maritime traditions of the region. Its shape is obtained by mixing eggs and sugar indulgently, and it is prepared according to traditional knowledge.         The ovos moles come from the ancient feminine convents in Aveiro. After the nuns communities were extinguished, the recipe passed on from generation to generation and it has been kept alive until today.        In addition to its strong taste, their shape makes them a truly peculiar pastry. Confectioners were inspired by their closeness to the lagoon and sea elements to transform with their fingers, thin layers  into shells, whelks, fish or clams, and fill them with this golden voluptuous dough.       Ovos moles de Aveiro were the first Portuguese bakery product to be dis
Read more