I admire a chef that can bake, because I admit that I am not a good baker. Baking is a science, where precise measuring and timing is needed. I don’t have the patience for that, so I usually cook relying on my instincts and taste buds.
When I bake I usually go with my 4 basic desserts; Coffee Cake, Pao de Lo, Torta, and Brownies. That’s it! So, this is the reason that I only look for dessert recipes requiring very few ingredients and little measuring!
Portuguese Pastry Chef, Vania Soares creates some sweet “Portuguese” desserts such as the trio of Pasteis, Natas do ceu , and Sonhos de chocolate, among other treats as the Pastry Chef at 42 and Bellota at The Ritz Calton in Westchester NY.
When I asked her for an easy recipe for a Portuguese dessert, she gave this one for her Torta de Laranja. This looks amazing and it only requires 4 ingredients, has no oil or butter in the recipe.
Chef Vania, graduated from the “Escola Profissional de Leiria” a renowned cooking school in Portugal. She later worked at the Madeira (hotel CS) and at the Sheraton Hotel in Porto before coming to America four years ago.
She told me she loves living in America but she misses her family and friends back in Portugal. Congratulations to Chef Vania for her accomplishments both in Portugal and in the USA and we wish her much success!
You can see more amazing photos as some of these featured here with Vania preparing her sweet creations by visiting the Facebook page of Henrigue Mano – Journalist for the Luso Americano newspaper.
Chef Vania and Executive Chef Anthony Goncalves of 42 and Bellota
Torta de laranja Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup & 1 tablespoon corn starch
12 large eggs
3 Oranges (crated rind from 2 – juice from all 3 )
Instructions:
In a bowl mix sugar & corn starch. Add eggs one at a time and mix until foamy. Add the orange juice & rind and mix well.
Grease or Pam a sheet pan and cover with parchment paper (spray with pam)
Cook 20-30 minutes in a 350 degree oven until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let cool for a few minutes and invert onto a lightly sugared parchment paper. Roll up the cake along the long side with the paper to form a roll.
Let it cool for a few minutes. Unroll and serve with desired fruit and whipped cream.
Carrot cake is easy to make and I can bet that most of you have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now!
If shredding the carrots intimidates you, don’t kill yourself, or your arm, just shred them in your food processor!
I find that using oil in carrot cakes often leaves the cake greasy, so I use margarine and yogurt for moistness instead.
After you try this recipe and see how deliciously easy it is to make, you’ll never buy a store carrot cake again! Enjoy!
Oil – Less Carrot Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs room temp
3 cups shredded carrots
1 stick margarine (soft)
1/2 cup Pineapple fruit on the bottom yogurt (or any you prefer)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 cup raisins (optional)
Frosting:
1 Package cream cheese (room temp)
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Instructions:
In a large mixing bowl, mix eggs, sugar, and margarine until creamy. Add Carrots and yogurt. Combine all other ingredients except walnuts in a bowl. Add dry ingredients to the wet batter and mix for about 5 minutes. Add the walnuts and raisins if desired and fold into batter.
Poor into 2 greased 9 in round cake pans. Cook in 350 degree oven for 30 -40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool and frost with desired amount of cream cheese frosting. Top with more walnuts!
(If you like lots of frosting, double the frosting recipe)
This recipe for Torta (similar to a Jelly Roll) is easy to prepare and only takes 15 minutes to bake.
What’s great about this recipe is that you can change the fillings to any that you prefer such as; chocolate pudding, flavored jams, or fresh chopped fruits like strawberries, peaches, berries etc.
Lemon Vanilla Torte
Ingredients:
5 room temp eggs separated
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp crated lemon rind
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 package instant Vanilla or Lemon pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cups sugar
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease (Pam spray or margarine) and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Combine flour, salt, baking powder in a bowl.
In a large bowl beat egg yolks with 1/4 cup of sugar until lemony. Add flour mix, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix well for about 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Add the 1/2 cup sugar gently into the whites until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the egg whites into the eggs with a rubber spatula. Pour into the sheet pan spreading evenly. Cook for about 15 minutes or less depending on your oven. The cake should be golden light brown in color.
Prepare the pudding by mixing the contents of the package with only 1 1/2 cups of milk (not 2 cups as package directs).
Mix for 2 minutes, then place in fridge to thicken.
Place a clean linen white kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle generously with granulated sugar. Slowly flip the cake pan onto the towel with the sugar.
Peel the parchment paper off the cake, then roll up the cake with the dish towel and let it sit for 5 minutes for the cake to cool.
Unwrap the rolled up cake let sit for a few minutes and spread the pudding (or any filling you prefer) evenly over the cake.
Gently roll up the cake without the towel leaving the edge on the bottom.
Sprinkle more sugar on top of the Torta to serve. Enjoy!
Carla Almeida sent me her recipe for Bolo de Bolacha Maria. “This is usually the recipe made by mothers in Portugal, especially in the summer. It’s fresh, easy and kids love it! It’s one of those Portuguese desserts that everyone has at one point or another tried. It is, probably, the dessert most loved by kids in Portugal. I remember that my mother baked it for special occasions, when she wanted to surprised us” She said. Bolo de Bolacha Maria
Ingredients:
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk 1 can (same can) milk 5 eggs 2 big packages of Bolacha Maria (Maria Cookies) 4 – 6 cups of strong black coffee 1 pint whipping cream 1 tsp of sugar or brown sugar Cinnamon powder
Instructions:
In a large bowl beat together the condensed milk, milk and egg yolks until creamy. Pour mixture into a pan on low heat and stir well until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn off heat.
Meanwhile dip cookies one at a time into coffee for about 5-10 seconds to coat with coffee, but don’t let them get soft. In a spring form pan or large platter, begin layering the cookies one a time then topping each with the egg cream until towers of your desired height form.
In small bowl beat the whipping cream with sugar until whipped. In separate bowl, beat the remaining egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the whipped cream gently. Top the cookie cake with the cream. Top the cake with desired amount of cinnamon and crushed Maria cookie crumbs. Put it in the fridge for about 5 hours, or overnight for best results.
Visit this youtube video Bolo de Bolacha for a demonstration of how to assemble the cake. The recipe is different but there are many variations of this classic. Carla’s recipe is unique!… Enjoy
Bolo Rei is Portugal’s king of cakes. It’s traditionally eaten throughout the Christmas season, but mostly on January 6, the twelfth day of Christmas, which is known as King’s day.
The date is when the three kings arrived in Jerusalem to greet the newborn baby Jesus. The legend is that the three kings were disputing which one of them would be the first to give their gift to Jesus. Upon their travels they met a baker who baked a cake with a bean inside it.
Which ever one of them got the slice of cake with the bean would give their gift first. Through the years coins and trinkets were added to the cake instead of the bean which would bring good luck upon the bearer. The cake without the fruit on top is often called Bolo da Rainha! My recipe inspired by Cascaistravel.com. Enjoy!
The cake was introduced to Portugal by theConfeitaria National bakery run by the Casteneira family for over 100 years.
Find the recipe in my Taste Portugal More Easy Portuguese recipes cookbook. Order on Amazon below:
Ingredients:
Yeast
2 tbsp active yeast 2 tsp granulated sugar
1 tablespoon flour 1/3 cup warm water
Dough
1 cup finely chopped assorted crystallized fruit NOTE: (I used dried apricots, dates, and raisins in my cake) 1/2 cup seedless raisins 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind 1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind 2 tablespoons port wine 2 tablespoons rum
1 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/4 stick butter (10 tablespoons) 1 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 2 egg yolks 5 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup chopped almonds 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Topping
crystallized fruit of your choice, such as pineapple, cherries, or figs 1 egg for egg wash confectioners sugar
Instructions:
Prepare the yeast mixture
In a small bowl mix together the yeast, sugar and flour and warm water. Stir and let sit for a few minutes for yeast to dissolve and activate.
For the Dough
In another bowl add the chopped crystallized fruit, raisins, grated lemon and orange peel, port wine and rum. Leave the fruit to soak up the liquid while you prepare the dough.
In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks one at a time. Gradually beat in the flour and the milk. Then add the yeast mixture to the dough.
Add the almonds, walnuts and pine nuts and the crystallized fruit mixture.
Lightly mix in more flour as needed to create a sticky bread like dough.
Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about one hour or until it has doubled in size.
Take the dough and knead for about one minute, then shape into a round loaf and place on a greased baking tray.
Using your thumbs, open up a hole in the middle of the dough so that you are left with a wreath shape, or crown. I used a greased and floured ramekin and placed it in the middle of the wreath to form the wreath.
Note: To add the surprise: Make a hole with a knife on one side of the wreath and push the wrapped broad bean into the dough. Choose another spot on the wreath, make a hole with the knife and push the wrapped coin into the dough.
Topping
Decorate the wreath with a few crystallized fruits. Beat the egg and brush over the wreath. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about one hour or until it has doubled in size.
Remove ramekin and bake in a preheated over at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and dust with powdered sugar.
Pão de Ló – “Sponge Cake” Just as the translation is easy, so is the recipe. This cake is so easy to make that you’ll find yourself making it again and again. The recipe uses no oil, butter or fats so it’s virtually fat free!
This classic dessert is so versatile that you can make it for all the holidays, special occasions, bring it to a pot luck diner as a dessert, or just make one when you’re craving a simple cake. Enjoy!….. and…..Happy Holidays!
This is a Christmas photo of the classic – Portuguese – Pao de Lo which I give as home made Christmas gifts for my family and friends.
*Please note: There is Silk – Poinsettia in the center
(Do not use real Poinsettias with food items)
Pao de lo recipe:
You will need an extra large bundt pan to cook the cake. If you don’t have an extra large pan be sure to use parchment paper all around so the cake doesn’t over spill.
Here’s our youtube video cooking the recipe.
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Ingredients:
10 brown eggs (room temp)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp (grated lemon peel – Optional)
Preparations:
Make sure your eggs are room temp or place them in a bowl of warm water for about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl beat the eggs until foamy. Add sugar and beat for at least 20 minutes until batter becomes very thick, stiff peaks. (Add lemon at this point if desired)
Note: If using a kitchenaid mixer, mix for only 10-15 minutes until stiff peaks form.
While the sugar and eggs are beating, mix flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl.
When the batter is ready, add the flour mixture very slowly 1/4 cup at a time on low speed or fold in with a spatula.
This should only take about 3-5 minutes. (Don’t over beat, this is important)
Grease a large tube pan. (Aluminum works best). If your pan is smaller, line the top few inches of the cake pan with parchment paper in case the batter rises over the top. Poor batter into the pan and shake slightly to spread evenly.
Cook at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes. Invert the cake pan right side up onto a serving dish.
(Note: This cake freezes well so you can make it ahead of time. Slice into pieces for individual servings or freeze the whole cake. Make sure it’s completely cooled, wrap in saran wrap and heavy foil or in Freezer bags.)
Click on the links below each photo to find the location in Portugal from where the dish is famous! If you can’t read Portuguese just paste the pages URL’s onto Google Translate.
My favorite is “Seafood Rice” and “Queijo Serra da Estrela” What’s your favorite?
Appetizer Category: Caldo Verde – (Collard Green With Potato Puree)
Article in Western Mass Women’s Magazine by Maria Dias, Contributing Writer-2011
Caramel Flan is a rich and creamy custard-based dessert topped with a layer of caramel.
This classic dessert is enjoyed during the Holiday season in Europe, North America, Latin America and even as far away as Macau and the Philippines. It originated in Europe but became very popular in Central and South America.
Some believe that it was the Romans who first began raising chickens for their eggs. They began cooking the eggs with sweeteners which eventually evolved into the custard desserts of today.
Outside of Spanish-speaking countries and the United States, Flan is sometimes referred to as crème caramel.
Every culture has different variations on the ingredients. My recipe is for Caramel Flan served in Portugal and Spain for Christmas Eve or Christmas day dinner. It took me years to master a great flan, but if you follow my recipe it’s easy. If you cook it, they will come, and you’ll be the hit of the Holiday party!
Recipe:
Flan ingredients:
6 large eggs
3 cups (whole milk) not low fat
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp either; (this is optional: vanilla, anisette liquor, or caramel glaze)
I make lots of Corn Muffins since they’re easy to make, but you’ll love these because they’re light and fluffy and they’re even better than Bakery!
This is a great recipe to make as a side dish, on cold winter days when you make Chilli or Soup. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups corn muffin mix
(If you don’t have the mix, use corn meal but increase the baking powder to 2 teaspoons)
2 eggs
3/4 stick margarine (soft)
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 small 6-8 oz container vanilla yogurt or 1/2 cup sour cream
Preparation:
In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs, sugar and margarine until creamy. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until the batter has no lumps.
Coat 2 large muffin pans (6 muffins each) or 2 small (12 muffins each) with cooking spray or with margarine.
Fill to 3/4 full. Cook at 350 f. for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Serve while hot, or split them in half, butter the sides and grill until golden brown. You can freeze them in freezer bags and enjoy them all month long! Enjoy!
Cook book author Ana Patuleia Ortins begins her cook book’s website; Portuguese Homestyle Cooking with a welcoming phrase; “Welcome to the flavors of Portuguese Homestyle Cooking. Traditional Portuguese recipes combine a blend of flavors and techniques of many other cultures dating back centuries. My book, Portuguese Homestyle Cooking, gives an overview of centuries old cultural influences on Portugal’s cuisine.”
When I asked the Author how she was influenced and why she decided to write a Portuguese cook book she responded;
“Like most Portuguese girls, growing up in America, I grew up with a vast influence of Portuguese culture from my family and other Portuguese friends. I had to learn to sew, crochet, cook and clean, etc, etc, etc. Eventually I became a medical secretary, and while raising a family decided to follow my passion and went to culinary school.
The biggest influence for the cook book was my father’s passion for our traditional recipes. I realized when my father passed away that I needed to record these favorites for my children or the real versions, as we knew them would be lost. After the urging of one of my brothers, what was to be a book for my children, became the idea to make a community book which then went on to be what it is today.”
Her original book was first published in 2008, but a new edition with a beautiful new cover was just released in 2011. The book has received great Reviews including the following in the Boston Globe.
Portuguese Homestyle Cooking by Ana Patuleia Ortins
“Startlingly delicious…superb…Ortin’s meticulously assembled collection should be widely welcomed…liberally interspersed with words of wisdom from her ‘Pai’ and classic tidbits of folklore…extremely thorough, addressing not only mainland cooking but Portuguese-American variations and the distinctive styles of the Azores islands…Though often built from just a few ingredients, Ortin’s recipes usually yield spectacular results…. Longer more complicated recipes are just as rewarding.”
–The Boston Globe
Ana has many favorite Portuguese dishes. “I love Pork with Clams, made in the real Alentejo style with massa de pimentão (red pepper paste). I also love Bacalhau com Natas, – but I could go on forever.” She says.
Although Ana hasn’t been to Portugal in a few years, she longs to take a trip back to visit to her homeland along her family and her husband who is also Portuguese and from Graciosa, in the Azores.
You may contact the Author on her website with any questions about her recipes. Free Cook Book Giveaway! … Sign up for Ana’s newsletter this month and just mention ‘Tia Maria’s Blog”. She will give away one cook book to my fans! * (Contest ended Sept 2011)
Thank you, Ana for the great cook book and for the following classic Portuguese barbecue chicken that we all love. This recipe is perfect for “tailgating” and to make “party wings”.
Frango Piri Piri – From Portuguese Homestyle Cooking (2008)
Variations of this dish abound, from the simple basting of hot sauce while grilling to the addition of other seasoning including whiskey and a mayonnaide type coating. Mine is a simple one that I have made for years. I hope you like it. You can use small fryer chickens but I find cornish hens are really tasty for this dish. the sweet paprika is a counterpoint to the hot chili. With a lighter hand with the spices, use the seasonings to flavor shrimp and the grill for Camarao Pir Piri.
Serves 2-4
1 tablespoon coarse kosher or sea salt
4 cloves garlic, halved
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro or parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 to 3/4 cup olive oil as needed
1/4 cup hot chili sauce (malequeta moida) or 1/2 cup bottled hot sauce
1. Toss the salt into a mortar and using the pestle crush the garlic into the salt forming a paste. Grind in the paprika, follow by the cilantro or parsley and the ground pepper. Mix in the wine vinegar. Drizzle in enough olive oil to make a mushy spreadable paste. Stir in the hot sauce of your choice.
2. Cut the cornish hens from the stem to stern, down the belly to open them up. Turn them over and cut along the back bone so that you cut each chicken in half. You also can just leave them butterflied. Place them in a non-reactive pan. Coat them with the garlic seasoning sauce and turn to evenly season them. Cover the dish and chill over night turning occasionally and at least once before retiring for the night.
3. Bring them to room temperature about 1/2 hour before cooking. Drain and reserve the marinade, you will need it for basting.
4. Place skin side up on the hot grill, basting and grilling for about 15 minutes. Turn the birds over, skin side down, and continue to grill for another 15 minutes. Stop basting about 2 minutes before the birds are done so that any raw marinade applied will have time to cook. If using a thermometer, the internal Temperature of the thick part of the thigh should be 165 degrees F. In any event, when cooking chicken, the juices should be clear. Serve with a bottle of hot sauce on the side for extra dousing. Serve with Sauteed Broccoli Rabe or turnip greens and fried potatoes.
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Flan is a rich and creamy custard-based dessert topped with a layer of caramel.
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