Dreams

Outside, a thin, crisp shell; inside, a hollow, buttery softness that almost melts away. The sugar and cinnamon bring warmth and fragrance, and when bathed in syrup they take on a port-and-citrus depth that makes them all the more comforting.

Some serve them simply dusted with sugar and cinnamon; others soak them in a syrup of port, Madeira, or sugar and lemon. They vary in filling too — a thread of custard or egg sweet in some — and in size, from tiny puffs to more generous balls.

Above all a home sweet, made with family at Christmastime. You will find them in traditional pastry shops and bakeries across the country, especially from December through Carnival; the Minho and the North keep the tradition most alive.

They call for a strong coffee or, at the Christmas table, a glass of port or moscatel that echoes the cinnamon and citrus in the dough.