Ovos Moles
Ovos moles from Aveiro is a sweet, glossy cream made from just egg yolks, sugar and water, cooked slowly until thick. This is the spoonable version, served in a bowl without the wafer casing, perfect alongside coffee or as a filling for other convent sweets.
- Yields
- About 400 g (4 to 6 servings)
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
Ingredients
- 10 yolks Egg yolks (from large, fresh eggs)
- 250 g White sugar
- 150 ml Water
- 1 strip Lemon peel (yellow part only)
- 1 Cinnamon stick (optional)
Method
Carefully separate the yolks from the whites, leaving them free of any trace of white. Pass the yolks through a fine sieve into a bowl to break up the membranes and avoid lumps. Set aside.
In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the sugar, water, lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Stir just until the sugar dissolves and the syrup turns clear; from then on let it boil over medium heat without stirring until it reaches the pearl stage, about 105 to 107 ºC / 221 to 225 ºF (the syrup thickens and, as it runs off the spoon, the last drop forms a fine thread).
Remove the pan from the heat and discard the lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Let the syrup cool to about 60 ºC / 140 ºF so the yolks do not curdle when added.
Pour the warm syrup over the sieved yolks in a thin stream, whisking constantly and vigorously to temper the yolks without cooking them all at once.
Pour the mixture back into the pan and place over very low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, scraping the bottom and corners well. Cook until it thickens into a thick, glossy cream that leaves a trail when you scrape the base, about 8 to 12 minutes. Never let it boil.
Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover the surface with cling film in direct contact to prevent a skin forming, and let it cool. Serve with a spoon, at room temperature or lightly chilled.