Camafeus

Definition of the geographical area of production: Terceira Island, Azores.

Ingredients used: 250 g walnuts; 300 g sugar; 6 egg yolks; 2 egg whites; 400 g sugar for the topping; lemon drippings; whole half walnuts.

Preparation: Bring the sugar to the heat with 1 dl of water and let it boil until it becomes a swordfish. Add the grated walnuts, mix well and remove from the heat. Let it cool a little and add the egg yolks and whites previously beaten. It is brought back to the heat so that the species thickens enough to be molded. It is laid on a platter and after it is very cold, it is molded into balls the size of a walnut. Bring the 400 g of sugar to the heat with 1 glass of water. Let it boil until it is ready to fly (or soft mouth point). Off the heat, beat the sugar until opaque, add a few drops of lemon and keep it in banho-maria.Com with the help of two forks, pass the species balls through the sugar syrup and, as this operation is done, place a half walnut over each ball. Once dry, the cameos are placed in beaded paper boxes.

Product history: The origin of this Portuguese sweet, very traditional from the island of Terceira, refers to cameos, objects made of chiseled stone, forming figures in relief. In the nineteenth century, it be-gan to adorn women's blouses and dresses, in addition to being hung around the neck by a ribbon. It is a small candy, made from sugar syrup, grated nuts and eggs, thickened over the fire to be later molded into the size of a walnut, covered with icing and garnished with half of this fruit.

Source: Federação Portuguesa das Confrarias Gastronómicas

Image source: Receitas Mundo Azores