Alfândega da Fé Almond Boats

Also known as: Alfândega da Fé almond boats

Pale pastry boats with a glossy filling of yolk and Trás-os-Montes almonds.

Origin: Parada and Vilar Chão · Alfândega da Fé
Region: Alfândega da Fé
Season: Year-round; especially common at summer festivities and family celebrations

Sweetness

Richness

Difficulty

Barquinhos de Alfândega da Fé have a narrow elongated shell with pointed ends, filled with a shallow paste of almonds, egg yolks and sugar. In the oven the rim stays pale while the filling develops a smooth glossy amber skin with the almond visible beneath it.

They form a pair with Rochedos: the boats use the yolks, while the leftover whites go into the other sweet. Together, the two recipes turn the plentiful almonds of the Terra Quente Transmontana into a no-waste use of the whole egg.

Ingredients

almonds
egg yolks
sugar
edible boat-shaped shell

Taste & texture

Pronounced almond and rich yolk, with caramelised sugar at the surface and a drier thin shell.

Variations

Size, shell thickness and filling texture vary among makers; the elongated boat shape and almond-yolk composition remain constant.

Where to try it

In Alfândega da Fé, Parada and Vilar Chão, from local producers and at the Festa da Cereja&co.

Pairs well with

Coffee, cherry liqueur or tawny Port.

History

The Municipal Council links the origins of Barquinhos and Rochedos to the villages of Parada and Vilar Chão. Knowledge passed among mothers, grandmothers and daughters, and the sweets became associated with summer festivities, family gatherings, weddings and baptisms. Locally, the boat name is also connected with vessels that once crossed the River Sabor.

Sources: cm-alfandegadafe.pt · cm-alfandegadafe.pt · cm-terrasdebouro.pt · rtp.pt

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