Biscoitos de Escalhão

Description: Cakes made from coarse wheat flour (with bran), eggs, sugar, boiled olive oil, brandy and salt. Its shape is oval, due to the flattening of the roller that forms when tendering. They are about 8 to 9 cm long and weigh between 40 and 50 g.

Region: Center

Particularity: Rustic product of traditional pastry, made from lightly sifted flour. It has an oval shape and a toasty-yellow colour on the outside and faded yellow on the inside. The crust is slightly crispy and cracked, easy to disintegrate when cutting.

History: They are regional cakes, typical of Escalhão, as shown by their rustic appearance. The origin of their production cannot be established exactly, as even the oldest people in the region remember having always consumed them. Magazines and practical guides to gastronomy and leisure time, however, do not fail to refer to them.

Use: As regional cakes, which today have greater dissemination due to tourism. They should be consumed within a month of their manufacture in order to better appreciate their organoleptic characteristics.

Know-how: Beat the eggs with the sugar, brandy and salt until a homogeneous dough is formed. Add the flour and finally the hot olive oil, taking care to mix well. The dough is spread with the hands, previously greased with olive oil, in the form of flattened rolls, which are then cooked in a wood oven.

Source: Produtos tradicionais portugueses, Lisboa, DGDR, 2001