Portalegre Manjar Branco — Judite Cardoso Formula
Portalegre Municipal Council publishes this formula transmitted by confectioner Judite Cardoso through a programme preserving the Convent of Santa Clara legacy. Sugar, milk, rice flour and corn starch become a thick mixture, shaped with two spoons and browned as small cakes. DGADR separately confirms the identity, shape and hot-oven finish; neither source publishes a yield, temperature or duration.
- Yields
- Not stated; one platter of small cakes
- Prep
- Not stated by the source
- Cook
- Not stated; stovetop cooking until non-sticky, then a hot oven only to brown
Ingredients
- 500 g / 17.6 oz Sugar
- 500 ml / 16.9 fl oz Water
- 200 g / 7.1 oz Rice flour
- 80 g / 2.8 oz Corn starch
- 1.5 L / 50.7 fl oz Milk
Method
Heat the 500 g sugar with 500 ml water and cook to the traditional cabelo sugar stage.
Add some of the 1.5 litres of milk to the syrup and stir well. The source does not quantify this portion.
Separately, disperse the 200 g rice flour and 80 g corn starch in the remaining milk without lumps. After listing both starches, the municipal page calls this mixture only ‘flour’; both are retained here and the ambiguity is recorded.
Add the milk-and-starch mixture to the diluted syrup and bring to the boil, stirring throughout, until thick.
Remove a small sample and let it cool as a test. If it remains sticky, the source directs further boiling; repeat until the cold sample no longer sticks.
Using two spoons, shape the mixture into segments resembling small croquettes and arrange them on an oven-safe platter.
Place in a hot oven only until the surface browns. DGADR confirms this finish but publishes no temperature or duration. The municipality's additional instruction involving wet cloths is ambiguous and has not been converted into an invented home procedure.
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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