Queijinhos do Céu

Description: The cakes are made up of a grated almond dough, egg whites and sugar and filled with a sweet made with eggs and sugar. They are shaped like small cheeses about 5 cm in diameter. They are whitish in color and are individually wrapped in cut-out tissue paper (papelotes), being packed in cardboard boxes, which contain a dozen cheeses.

Region: Lisbon and Tagus Valley.

Particularity: The particularity of this product consists in its shape, which tries to imitate a small cheese. The sweetness of its filling contrasts pleasantly with the flavor of its pseudo-shell.

History: Joaquim dos Mártires Neto Coimbra states that «... Its main trade is olive oil, wines, cereals... From its cuisine, the fataça stews and barbel soup stand out. And from his sweets the Queijinhos do Céu...».

Use: Sweet appreciated as a treat, can be served as a dessert or eaten at any time of the day.

Know-how: Outer dough made with grated almonds, beaten egg whites and sugar, filled with soft eggs made with egg yolks and sugar. The cheeses are tended by hand, giving them the characteristic shape of cheese, and then wrapped in sugar.

Source: Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses, Lisboa, DGDR, 2001