Portuguese Christmas Sonhos
Small balls of scalded dough that puff and become hollow during gentle frying, finished while warm with cinnamon sugar. This representative formula follows two independent Portuguese recipes that agree on a base of water, milk, butter, flour and eggs.
- Yields
- About 25 sonhos
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 25 min
Ingredients
- 125 ml Water
- 125 ml Milk
- 50 g Butter
- 1 strip, without white pith Lemon peel
- 150 g Plain (all-purpose) flour
- 4 Large eggs
- about 1 litre Vegetable oil for frying
- as needed for coating Sugar
- as needed for coating Ground cinnamon
Method
Heat the water, milk, butter and lemon peel. When the mixture reaches a boil and the butter has melted, remove the peel.
Add the flour all at once. Stir vigorously over low heat until the dough forms a smooth ball and pulls away from the base and sides of the pan.
Transfer the dough to a bowl and cool for about 10 minutes. It should be warm rather than hot before the eggs are added.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the next only when the previous egg is fully incorporated; the finished dough should be smooth, glossy and elastic.
Heat a deep layer of oil, then reduce to medium-low heat. Drop in small spoonfuls of dough, leaving plenty of space: the sonhos expand several times in volume.
Fry only a few at a time, turning them only if they do not roll by themselves, until puffed and evenly golden. Gentle frying allows the centre to cook before the outside darkens.
Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Immediately roll in cinnamon sugar and serve the same day.
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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