by Mónica Pinto
It all started centuries ago in the Portuguese convents. The nuns used to starch the habits with egg whites and, consequently, they ended up with huge quantities of egg yolks, so they started making a variety of rich and delicious sweets, mostly using egg yolks and sugar, in fact lots of both. Sometimes they would add almonds and a small list of other ingredients, but the egg yolks and sugar were always the main ingredients of the Portuguese convent sweets.
Papos de anjo, in English, would be something like, “angels’ stomachs” or “angels’ bellies”, and they are one of the most traditional of Portuguese sweets. They start as sugar-free, fluffy little egg cakes, round and smooth, just like the nuns imagined an angel’s belly, but then they are covered with a very sweet and aromatic syrup that makes them a melt-in-the-mouth treat, a delicacy for people with a very sweet tooth.
Enjoy!
Recipe
Ingredients
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Pastry:
6 egg yolks
1 egg white
Syrup:
300 g caster sugar
3 dl water
1 orange peel
1 cinnamon stick
Preparation
- Butter 8 to 10 mini muffin tins (depends on the size). Preheat the oven to 180º, gas mark 4.
- Beat the egg yolks until fluffy and thick (3 to 5 minutes).
- Beat the egg white until it forms firm peaks and fold it gently into the yolk mixture.
- Fill the tins almost to the top with this smooth, velvety batter, then bake for 10 minutes.
- When they’re browned, remove small egg cakes from the tins while they’re still warm.
- In a saucepan add sugar, water, orange peel and cinnamon stick.
- Bring to the boil and let bubble away for exactly 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and pour the hot and aromatic syrup over the papos de anjo.
Serve at room temperature.
I’m a food photographer and stylist with an Art & Design degree. I live in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal, near the sea with my husband, my two boys and my dog. I love home cooking from around the world and have a very special interest in traditional Portuguese cuisine. I love to cook with fresh herbs, edible flowers and fresh vegetables. Some I grow organically in my kitchen garden. Others I buy from local farmers markets. I’m the author of Pratos e Travessas a blog about cooking, food photography and food chronicles.
Eating poorly or inadequately in our fast food culture is easy. Overworked and stressed, we rush out to find a quick bite and often find solace in a burger or a hot dog. The temptation of sugar, salt and fat feel good while we are eating it, but it really does little to satisfy us. It is convenient at the time and stills our hunger. Dinner might be a quick microwave meal, frozen pizza ready in minutes in the oven, or even take out. Looking at the long-term effects, it will make our family and us fat, lazy and sick!
