Broas de Espécie — Festas e Comeres do Povo Português Version
This Estremadura formula, published by Roteiro Gastronómico de Portugal from the book Festas e Comeres do Povo Português, combines sweet potato, almond, coconut, egg yolks and citrus zest. It is one documented family of Broas de Espécie, not a universal formula: DGADR's record under the same name describes much smaller cakes made with almond, pine nuts, sugar, eggs and flour, without sweet potato or coconut.
- Yields
- Yield not stated
- Prep
- Not stated; the mixture must cool completely and may rest overnight
- Cook
- Not stated; bake in a very hot oven
Ingredients
- 750 g / 1 lb 10.5 oz Sweet potato
- 500 g / 1 lb 2 oz Sugar
- 150 ml / 5.1 fl oz Water
- 80 g / 2.8 oz Almonds, blanched
- 80 g / 2.8 oz Desiccated coconut
- 3 Egg yolks
- 2 tangerines or 1 orange, zest only Tangerines or orange
- Amount not stated Egg yolk for brushing
- Amount not stated Colourful sprinkles
- Amount not stated Wafer-paper sheets
- Amount not stated Flour for shaping
Method
Cook the sweet potatoes, peel them and pass or mash the flesh to a purée.
Heat the sugar with 150 ml / 5.1 fl oz water to the espadana syrup stage, identified by the source as 117°C / 243°F.
Grind the blanched almonds. Add the sweet-potato purée, almond and coconut to the syrup and cook, stirring continuously, until the spoon leaves a path that exposes the bottom of the pan.
Add the three yolks and the zest of two tangerines or one orange. Remove from the heat and cool completely; the source allows the mixture to rest overnight.
With flour-dusted hands, shape small broas and place them on sheets of wafer paper.
Brush with egg yolk and scatter with colourful sprinkles. The source does not quantify these finishing ingredients.
Bake in a very hot oven. The source publishes neither temperature nor duration; monitor until cooked and golden rather than inventing a time-and-temperature pair.
Once cool, trim the wafer paper around each broa and, to follow the source's presentation, add more sprinkles if desired.
Sources for this recipe
The quantities and method were checked against the references below. Family recipes may vary; where no single official formula exists, we present a representative practical version and say so plainly.
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