São Miguel Picos or Nevões — Leonor Santos's Formula
ByAçores publishes this formula by Leonor Santos for Picos, also called Nevões or Picos dos Açores: a sweet yeast dough is rolled, folded around two layers of coconut-and-yolk filling, cut, glazed and baked at 160°C. The page establishes the method and almost all quantities; the original video supplies the condensed-milk tin weight. It is an attributed household version, not a single official formula for every São Miguel bakery.
- Yields
- Yield and piece size not stated
- Prep
- One first rise until doubled, duration not stated, plus a 15 min rest
- Cook
- 30–35 min at 160°C / 320°F, or less depending on the oven
Ingredients
- 6 glasses; glass capacity not stated Plain wheat flour
- 1 tbsp Vanilla
- 1 1/2 glasses; use the same glass as for the flour Warm milk for the dough
- 1 tsp Baker's yeast
- 1 tsp Salt
- 6 tbsp Sugar
- 200 g / 7.1 oz Butter at room temperature for the dough
- 3 Eggs for the dough
- 250 g / 8.8 oz Unsweetened shredded coconut for the filling
- 2 Egg yolks for the filling
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 x 395 g / 13.9 oz tin; reserve a little for the topping if desired Sweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 glass; capacity not stated Milk for the filling
- 1 tsp Butter for the filling
- 1 Egg for glazing
- As needed Additional shredded coconut for the topping
Method
Put the warm milk, baker's yeast and salt in a bowl or mixer bowl and stir for a few seconds to dissolve the yeast.
Add the sugar, three eggs and vanilla and beat for a few seconds, just until combined.
Add the flour and 200 g room-temperature butter. Beat for 2 minutes until the dough is firm and consistent.
Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover and leave to rise until doubled. The source gives neither duration nor room temperature.
While the dough rises, put the condensed milk—reserving a little for the topping if desired—the half glass of milk, cornstarch and teaspoon of butter in a saucepan. Stir over low heat and add the 250 g coconut.
Stir for a few minutes to bind the filling. Add the two yolks at the end, stir thoroughly and set aside. The source publishes no temperature, exact duration or final consistency.
Once risen, roll the dough on a floured surface into a rectangle.
Spread filling over the dough, leaving one edge clear. Fold one layer of dough over all the filling, cover that fold with more filling and fold the remaining dough over it, making two filled layers.
Cut the pieces to the desired size, place them on a parchment-lined tray and rest for 15 minutes. The source sets no dimensions.
Beat the remaining egg and brush it over the Picos.
Bake at 160°C / 320°F for 30 to 35 minutes, checking earlier if necessary; remove when golden.
Optionally brush the baked Picos with the reserved condensed milk and cover with shredded coconut.
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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