Cascoréis da Guarda

Description: Cakes made from wheat flour, eggs, olive oil, baker's yeast, brandy and salt. They are about 12 to 14 cm in diameter and weigh between 50 and 70 g.

Region: Center.

Special feature: Fried cakes, circular concave and convex in shape, with abundant hollow, yellow bubbles and crispy dough. They are sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.

History: Guarda is the holder of tasty delicacies, among which the Cascoréis stand out, which the author of a memoir mentions: «At the party, after the sung mass, and the procession around the camp, the picnics were eaten, whose menu was predominantly part [...] and the cascorels".

Use: Consumed as a dessert and treat, especially during festive seasons.

Know-how: In a bowl, pour the flour, make a hole in the middle, add the broken yeast and the tepid water and knead the ingredients until you get a homogeneous dough that makes bubbles. Add the brandy and mix. Cover with a cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours. Dip the fingers in water and tend pieces of dough that stretch to give them a circular shape. They are fried in hot oil, until they are blond on both sides, drain and wrap in sugar and cinnamon.

Source: Produtos Tradicionais Portugueses, Lisboa, DGDR, 2001