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Cavacas de Resende
Cavacas de Resende: hollow, puffed egg biscuits under a crackly white sugar glaze
Resende, a town of cherry orchards above the Douro, has made cavacas for centuries, and stalls at its fairs and the Festa de São Pedro sell them by the bag. They are a curious and lovely thing: a simple batter of eggs, flour and oil puffs up in the oven into a hollow, crisp shell, which is then brushed with a boiled sugar glaze that dries brilliant white. A common mistake is opening the oven early, which makes the puffed biscuits sink before their crust sets. Chef's tip: keep the oven door shut for the first 20 minutes, because opening it early makes the cavacas collapse.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the cavacas
For the glaze
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Oil two baking trays well.
5 minStep 2: Beat the 5 eggs with an electric mixer on high for 10 minutes, until pale and very thick. Beat in the ¼ cup sunflower oil in a thin stream.
11 minStep 3: Add the 9 oz plain flour a spoonful at a time, beating on low, until you have a smooth, thick, elastic batter that falls slowly from the beaters.
3 minStep 4: Drop heaped tablespoons onto the trays, 6 cm apart, smoothing each into a rough dome with a wet spoon.
5 minStep 5: Bake for 25–30 minutes, until well puffed, golden and light, and the base sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack.
30 minStep 6: For the glaze, boil the 14 oz granulated sugar, ¾ cup water and 1 tsp lemon juice without stirring for about 8 minutes, until it reaches 112–250°F (a drop in cold water forms a soft ball). Take off the heat and beat with a wooden spoon for 2–3 minutes, until it turns cloudy and starts to thicken.
11 minStep 7: Working quickly, brush or spoon the glaze over the tops of the cavacas. If it hardens in the pan, warm it gently with a teaspoon of water. Leave for 30 minutes, until the glaze sets dry and white. They keep for a week in a tin.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cavacas de Resende take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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