Cavacas das Caldas

Description: Cavacas are prepared with flour, whole eggs, brandy, olive oil, sugar and egg whites. The measurements used for preparation are referred to as malgas. In essence, all the ingredients come in equal parts. The Cavacas are round, concave and have a diameter of about 10 cm and weigh 50 g. They are white in color, due to the sugar syrup and white with which they are barred.

Region: Lisbon and Tagus Valley.

Special feature: Dry cakes, more or less round and concave, covered with white sugar.

History: Around 1874, Mrs. Jesuína da Conceição Garcia opened a sale at Rua do Hospício n° 13, manufacturing the genuine Cavacas das Caldas (as the house sign said). After his death in 1919, he was succeeded by his niece. In 1923, one of his granddaughters opened a new store and, a few months later, the old Casa Fausta appeared, today Pastelaria Machado.

Use: Going to Caldas and not tasting Cavacas is, to say the least, an unthinkable behavior. Cavacas are consumed as a snack, with tea, or at any time of the day.

Know-how: Beat the eggs and mix the remaining ingredients. You beat your hand for an hour and a half, to one side and the other, without much force. Grease the molds with olive oil and pour out the mixture. Bake in a very hot oven. Finally, beat the egg whites with a lot of sugar until you get a thick cream that is poured over the cakes.

Source: Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses, Lisboa, DGDR, 2001