Toucinho-do-Céu de Murça

Description: Cake made with sugar, almond, gila jam, eggs and wheat flour. It usually has a rectangular shape, yellow color and moist texture. Weight varies depending on the order.

Region: North.

Particularity: Rectangular cake, very yellow in color and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

History: João Luís Teixeira Fernandes tells us the following: originating from the convent gastronomy, these sweets are, in fact, an inheritance from the Benedictine nuns who for centuries were installed in a monastery in this village until the end of the nineteenth century. The secret of manufacture was earned by the excellent Mrs. Serafina Rosa Alves, a maid in that convent, and is still religiously guarded by her granddaughter Mrs. Hermínia Alves, current owner of Casa das Queijadas». In 1992, António Luís Pinto da Costa wrote: «The convent left us a good recipe, which unfortunately is being lost. The people who hold the secret are dying out...", continuing to state "... the Bacon of Heaven, the only delicacy to offer to Jesus Christ, if he should return to this world, they said...»

Use: Eaten at any time of the day, being much appreciated as a dessert.

Know-how: The sugar is cooked with a glass of water until it is threaded. Add the gila jam and, a little later, the grated almonds very dry. Boil until it is at the point of a thin sword and remove from the heat. Let it cool a little and add the egg yolks. On a greased tray, spread the flour, then pour the jam, which goes to the oven to dry. Once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Source: Produtos tTradicionais Portugueses, Lisboa, DGDR, 2001