Broas Castelares (Portuguese Sweet Potato Cookies)
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
20 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
30 cookies
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Cuisine
Portuguese
Broas Castelares (Portuguese Sweet Potato Cookies)
Description
The Broas Castelares cookie recipe centers on sweet potatoes cooked until soft and combined with a high amount of sugar dissolved to a syrup with the potato for moisture and sweetness. Lemon and orange zest add citrus fragrance, while finely chopped candied ginger contributes subtle spice.
Additional ingredients include shredded dried coconut, almond meal for nuttiness and texture, cornmeal for slight graininess, and a small amount of all-purpose flour and salt for structure. Eggs and optional orange blossom water enrich taste and binding. The dough is cooled and refrigerated overnight to firm up and allow the flavors to integrate, which is important given the high sugar content and moist ingredients.
Before baking, the dough is portioned into balls and shaped into ovals to create characteristic cookies that have a slightly chewy and dense texture with sweetness balanced by citrus and ginger. The recipe is notable for its relatively large sugar quantity compared with modern recipes, adhering to traditional sweetness levels.
These cookies make for a special treat with tea or coffee and showcase Portuguese baking flavors through their use of sweet potato and almond meal.
Ingredients
- 3/4 pounds sweet potato scrubbed
- 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- lemon zest of one
- orange zest of half
- 2-3 tablespoons candied ginger finely chopped
- 1 cup coconut shredded, dried
- 1 1/2 cups almond meal super fine, blanched
- 3/4 cups cornmeal finely ground
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional)
- 1 egg large yolk, for brushing
Instructions
- Pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork and bake in the oven at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes or until soft. Let it cool a few minutes then scrape out the flesh.
- Run the sweet potato flesh through a potato ricer. Place it in a small-medium pot with the sugar. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved to liquid. Add the lemon zest, orange zest and candied ginger. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and add all remaining ingredients except for the eggs, orange blossom water and egg yolk. Stir to thoroughly combine. Then add the eggs and orange blossom water and stir to thoroughly combined. Let the mixture cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld and the dough firm up.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Use a spoon to scoop out the dough and roll into balls about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Then shape each ball into an oval with tapered ends. Place the cookies on a lined baking sheet and gently press them just to very slightly flatten them (see images in blog post) and brush them with the egg yolk. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool completely.
- Makes about 30 cookies. These freeze well in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
Notes
- The recipe calls for 3 1/2 cups of sugar, which is less than in many traditional versions, maintaining authentic sweetness levels.
- Refrigerating the dough overnight helps the flavors meld and firms the dough, which is necessary due to the wet ingredients.
- Forming the dough into oval shapes before baking preserves the characteristic appearance and texture of Broas Castelares.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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