Crato Tecula-Meca — Published Cinnamon-Finished Home Version
This household formula published by TeleCulinária retains the core that DGADR documents for Tecula-Meca: sugar syrup, almonds, yolks and whole eggs, butter, lard and cinnamon. It uses a round tin, bakes for about 40 minutes at 180°C / 355°F and is finished with ground cinnamon. That presentation must be distinguished from the traditional Crato product described by DGADR, whose white surface is a sugar-and-egg-white coating.
- Yields
- 1 cake, 4 servings according to the source
- Prep
- Time not stated, plus intermediate cooling
- Cook
- About 40 minutes at 180°C / 355°F
Ingredients
- 500 g / 17.6 oz Sugar
- 300 ml / 10.1 fl oz Water
- 250 g / 8.8 oz Ground almonds
- 25 g / 0.9 oz, plus an unstated amount for greasing Butter
- 10 g / 0.35 oz Lard
- 10 Egg yolks
- 2 Whole eggs
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- Amount not stated, for finishing Ground cinnamon
Method
Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F. Grease a round tin with butter; the source states neither the diameter nor the amount of butter.
Put the 500 g / 17.6 oz sugar, 300 ml / 10.1 fl oz water and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Cook to pearl stage: the syrup should fall from a spoon in a resistant thread with a small bead at its tip.
Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick and add the 250 g / 8.8 oz almonds, 25 g / 0.9 oz butter and 10 g / 0.35 oz lard. Mix thoroughly.
Return the pan to the heat and stir until the mixture thickens. The source gives neither a duration nor a final temperature.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool before adding the eggs. The source gives no temperature; do not incorporate them while the mixture is hot enough to scramble them.
Add the 10 yolks and 2 whole eggs and mix until uniform. Pour into the prepared tin.
Bake for about 40 minutes. Remove, leave to cool, turn out and finish with ground cinnamon to taste.
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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