Graciosa Queijadas — Home Formula Published by I Love Azores
This is a complete home formula published by I Love Azores: a very thin case of flour, eggs, butter, sugar, salt and water filled with milk and sugar reduced for about two and a half hours, twenty yolks, butter and cinnamon. It is not the guarded commercial formula used by Maria de Jesus Félix's family. Its ingredients match the official producer's list, while the Azores Crafts and Design Centre confirms the star shape, crisp case, milk-and-egg filling and former name covilhete de leite.
- Yields
- Yield not stated
- Prep
- Prepared over 2 days; filling reduces for about 2 hr 30 min
- Cook
- About 30 min in the oven
Ingredients
- 300 g / 10.6 oz Plain wheat flour for the pastry
- 2 level tbsp Sugar for the pastry
- 1 pinch Salt for the pastry
- 2 Eggs for the pastry
- 4 heaped tsp Butter for the pastry
- as needed Water for the pastry
- as needed Flour for rolling
- as needed Butter for greasing the tins
- 2 litres / 8.5 cups Milk for the filling
- 1 kg / 2 lb 3.3 oz Sugar for the filling
- 2 tbsp Butter for the filling
- 20 Egg yolks for the filling
- as needed Cinnamon for the filling
Method
The day before, cook the 2 litres milk and 1 kg sugar over low heat for about 2 hours 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and brown.
Add the two tablespoons butter while the mixture is still warm. Leave to cool; the source gives neither an exact temperature nor duration.
Add the twenty beaten yolks and cinnamon to taste. Return to the heat for 1–2 minutes, stirring continuously. Reserve until the next day.
The next day, combine the 300 g flour, two level tablespoons sugar and pinch of salt. Make a well in the centre and add the two eggs.
Add the four heaped teaspoons melted butter. Work the dough thoroughly, adding small amounts of water only until pliable.
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Roll the dough very thinly on a floured surface, cut rounds and line small greased tins. The source gives neither tin diameter nor number.
Divide the filling among the pastry cases and bake for about 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool before unmoulding. The source publishes no more precise instructions for this stage.
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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