The Broas Castelares are a typically Portuguese Christmas sweet, created in Lisbon, specifically on Rua do Ouro, by the Castelar brothers, owners of Confeitaria Francesa. This confection has become a traditional presence on every Christmas table due to its perfect blend of cinnamon with sweet potato and ground almond.
Ingredientes – 6 Doses | Ingredients – 6 Portions
- 100 g de açúcar amarelo (100 g of brown sugar)
- 400 g de açúcar branco (400g of white sugar)
- 200 g de amêndoa moida (200 g of ground almonds)
- 200 ml de água (200 ml of water)
- 70 g de farinha (70 g of flour)
- 700 g de puré de batata doce (700 g of sweet potato puree)
- 5 gemas de ovo (5 egg yolks)
- 125 g de farinha de milho (125 g corn flour)
- raspa de 1 laranja (zest of one orange)
- 1 c. de chá de canela (1 tsp of cinnamon)
Processo | Process
1 – Leve o açúcar e a água ao lume e deixe ferver por 10 minutos até atingir o ponto pérola. (Bring the sugar and water to the heat and let it boil for 10 minutes to reach the pearl stage.)
2 – Adicione o puré de batata doce, a amêndoa moída, as farinhas, a canela, a raspa da laranja, e mexa bem ainda no lume, durante uns 3 minutos. (Add the sweet potato puree, ground almonds, flours, cinnamon, orange zest, and stir well on the heat for about 3 minutes.)
3 – Baixe o lume para o mínimo e verta as gemas ligeiramente batidas, em fio para a massa, nunca deixando de mexer para as gemas não talharem. (Reduce the heat to the minimum and pour in the lightly beaten yolks, in a stream into the mixture, constantly stirring to prevent curdling of the yolks.)
4 – Deixe mais 4 minutos ao lume, mexendo sempre para que as gemas cozam e a massa engrosse. (Let it cook for another 4 minutes, stirring constantly to ensure the yolks cook and the mixture thickens.)
5 – Retire do lume e deixe arrefecer completamente (o ideal é fazer a massa no dia anterior). Antes de formar as broas, adicione 2 colheres de sopa de farinha de milho e envolva bem na massa já fria. (Remove from heat and let it cool completely — it’s ideal to prepare the dough the day before. Before shaping the broas, add 2 tablespoons of cornflour and mix well into the cooled dough.)
6 – Ligue o forno a 180º. Faça broinhas com 2 colheres de sobremesa, como se estivesse a fazer pasteis de bacalhau. (Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Shape small broas using 2 dessert spoons, similar to making codfish cakes.)
7 – Coloque as broas em tabuleiros forrados de papel vegetal e pincele com gema de ovo batida. (Place the broas on baking trays lined with parchment paper and brush them with beaten egg yolk.)
8 – Estão prontas quando estiverem douradinhas por cima. (They are ready when they are golden on top.)
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