Gafanha da Encarnação

We were told that you can’t say you have visited Aveiro if you haven’t tried the local delicacy Ovos Moles de Aveiro. We had already been in Aveiro for two days and thought that we better hurry up to try these little delicacies. We leave tomorrow.

So, when we had our pizza and salad lunch at the Coza Nova Bakery in Costa Nova, we also bought two small (2”) barrel-shaped Ovos to take home with us and have later in the afternoon.

I found out that they are made from sweetened egg yokes and wrapped in a thin candy wafer and styled as a fish, shell, walnut or a barrel. Originally produced by nuns who used the egg whites to starch their habits, and who were then left with a significant amount of egg yolks, it seemed like a good idea for them to make cakes while using up the yolks. So, they are made from sugar and eggs...

Well, we ate our Ovos at teatime and were happy that they were small. Let’s just say it’s an acquired taste and anyone with a sweet tooth is going to love them. Man, are they sweet!

The Recipe for Ovos Moles

Ingredients for Making the Shell:
3.5 cups pastry flour
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup olive oil

Ingredients for Making the Filling:
8 egg yolks
1.5 cups sugar
1/2 cup rice flour

Directions:
For the Shell:
1) Pour the ingredients in a bowl and knead them well until they reach a dough like consistency.
2) With the help of a rolling pin, roll the dough very thin, place it in a lightly greased form and with the tip of a knife, make the shape you wish to mold the filling in. The dough should be very thin, almost transparent.
3) Mold the dough into whichever shape you please, or if you have a specific baking mold, use that.

For the Filling:
1) Pour the sugar in a saucepan on the stove with a glass of water and let it boil until 245 degrees fanrenheit or the sugar has become a syrup with an even consistency.
2) In another saucepan, dissolve the rice flour in 1/2 cup of cold water. Add the boiled sugar syrup to this mixture let it cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
3) Turn off the heat and let it cool slightly and begin adding in the egg yolks.
4) Keep stirring them together and let them cool for another 5 minutes on low heat in the saucepan.
5) Pour the filling into the molded shells.
6) Serve and enjoy!

*If you wish to add a bit of crunch to the treats you can place them on a baking sheet in the oven at 250 degrees fahrenheit for about 3-4 minutes until they reach a crunchy shell.*Read more