AI-generated image
Yemas de Ávila
Yemas de Ávila: sugared egg-yolk sweets from the walled city of Ávila
Inside Ávila's medieval walls, little boxes of yemas are the souvenir every visitor carries home: soft, deep-yellow balls of egg yolk cooked with sugar syrup, rolled in sugar and set in paper cases. They are linked with Saint Teresa, the city's famous nun, and are eaten with coffee after lunch, especially around her feast in October. The yolks are cooked until thick, well past the point that makes them safe. Chef's tip: keep the heat low and never stop stirring; yolks scramble in seconds if they catch.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Simmer 3 ½ oz caster sugar, 3 ½ tbsp water, 1 strip lemon peel and 1 cinnamon stick in a small heavy pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until the syrup is clear and forms a thin thread between two fingers when cooled on a spoon. Remove the peel and cinnamon and let it cool for 5 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Strain 8 egg yolks through a sieve into a bowl, then pour in the warm syrup in a thin stream, whisking all the time.
Step 3: Return to the pan over a low heat and stir constantly with a spatula for 8–10 minutes, until the mixture thickens to a smooth, golden paste that comes away from the sides and holds a trail. It should reach at least 167°F. A common mistake is turning up the heat to hurry it: you get sweet scrambled egg.
10 minStep 4: Spread the paste on a plate, cover the surface with cling film and chill for 1 hour, until firm enough to roll.
60 minStep 5: Dust your hands and the worktop with 1 ¾ oz icing sugar, roll the paste into 18 small balls and roll each in more icing sugar. Set in paper cases and keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does yemas de Ávila take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- 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 caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of cinnamon stick?
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon per stick.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Baklava
The famous layered pastry: crisp sheets of buttered fillo sandwich a filling of almonds, pistachios and cashews spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and saffron. After baking, the hot baklava is soaked in a syrup of sugar, honey, lemon, rose and cardamom and decorated with almond and pistachio flakes. Cut into 40 diamonds; serve with fresh cream or ice cream.
Horchata de chufa
Horchata de chufa is the drink of Valencia's summer, sold ice-cold in the city's horchaterías with long, soft fartons pastries for dipping. It is made from chufas, or tiger nuts: small wrinkled tubers grown around the village of Alboraya just north of Valencia, which have their own protected designation of origin. Soaked, ground with water, strained and sweetened, they give a creamy, nutty, naturally dairy-free milk with a hint of cinnamon. Valencians drink it very cold, or half-frozen as 'granizada'. Chef's tip: soak the tiger nuts for a full 24 hours and change the water once; they must be plump and soft enough to blend into a fine pulp, or the horchata will be thin and taste of raw starch.
Custard sauce
Proper pouring custard made the easy way with custard powder. It's thick, smooth and lightly sweet, just right with apple pie, crumbles, fruit salad and trifle. Serve it warm, or chill it for trifles.
British