week Twenty-seveN: Mary tea biscuits

Mary tea biscuits, (Bolacha Maria) are a staple food in Portugal. These biscuits are bought in any supermarket in very typical 20-units packages.  Marias have a delicate and subtle vanilla flavor. Because Marias are so uncomplicated, they usually are the first treat in every baby's life in Portugal! And the Marias became an acquired taste and we eat them as snacks, either plain or with butter or any kind of jam. Moreover, Marias are used as the base of many Portuguese desserts such as Chocolate Salami or Cookie Cake . This time we needed some Marias to bake Chocolate Salami and could find any in SF! So we decided to bake, and thus homage, the simplest and most uncomplicated tea biscuit of the Portuguese cuisine.

week Twenty-siX: Caramel cake with caramel frosting

It's been 6 months since we started baking a portuguese dessert every week. And we still do not see the end of the list! There are soooo many more to come. But the most important thing is that I am having fun, learning, sharing and enjoying!
To celebrate we chose to make a delicious caramel cake. There is caramel everywhere, the cake, the filling and the frosting! The smell and the color!

It's also time for me to say: Thanks dream maker partner!

week Tweety-fivE: Caramel mousse with roasted almonds

day dreaming for a perfect sunday.
the morning sprawled over a late brunch. urban hiking to unravel city secrets. a leisurely afternoon between caramel mousse, friends and smiles.
and the day ended Fellini's way: 'la dolce vita'.

week Tweenty-fouR: Poached Meringues In Lemon Custard With Cinnamon

This dessert has such a long and complicated name in English, when in fact it is designated by a single noun in Portuguese: Farófias.
I have no idea which is the origin of this dessert, but I guess is a pretty old recipe. It has always been the favorite dessert of older members of my family. I still remember the great enthusiasm when the large serving dish of Farófias was brought to the table in the large family reunions.
Eating Farófias always makes me think I'm eating pieces of clouds, that softly melt in my mouth. So, for me clouds taste like lemon zest with a dash of cinnamon, and they float in a pale yellow sea of rich custard.

week Tweenty-threE: Christmas scrambled | Mexidos

This is a traditional Xmas recipe from the north of Portugal. It has to be present every year during Xmas holiday on the following days: 24th and 25th of December, New years eve and day, and Epiphany eve!
There are two kinds of Scrambled (mexidos) - the rich and the poor ones. The difference between both versions is solely the ratio of bread to egg yolks. More yolks, more expensive...
The bread has to be a special bread from a small village - padronelo's bread. Almonds, nuts, raisins, honey and porto wine exalt the richness of this sweet!
My mom kindly decorates it with cute pinenut flowers to finish the product.
For me, will always be a memory of Christmas.