Broas de Milho Doces

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large mixing bowl
• •Baking sheet
• •Parchment paper
• •Wire cooling rack

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the oven and pan

   Heat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. The parchment matters here because these cakes are delicate and will stick to an unlined pan.

2. 2

   Mix the dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk together the corn flour, wheat flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. The corn flour should be fine, almost like regular flour in texture. Coarse cornmeal won't work here. You want that smooth, dense crumb that makes these cakes special.

3. 3

   Work in the butter

   Add the softened butter to the flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse sand with some pea-sized pieces remaining. This is like making a crumbly pastry. Don't overwork it. The texture should be uneven.

   The butter must be soft but not melted. Room temperature. If it's too cold, you can't work it in. If it's melted, the texture will be wrong.
4. 4

   Add eggs and lemon

   Beat the eggs lightly in a small bowl. Add the lemon zest to the eggs. Pour into the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. It won't be smooth. It shouldn't be. The dough will feel dense and a bit grainy from the corn flour. That's exactly right.

5. 5

   Shape the broas

   With lightly floured hands (use corn flour for this), take small portions of dough, about 30g each, and roll into balls. Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 4cm apart. Flatten each ball slightly with your palm or the bottom of a glass dipped in flour. They should be about 1.5cm thick. Some bakers press a fork pattern into the tops. Avó Leonor never did, but do what you like.

   Don't make them too thin. These should be dense little cakes, not cookies. Thick enough to break in half and dunk in coffee.
6. 6

   Bake until golden

   Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, until the edges turn golden and the tops develop a light golden color with a few darker spots. The centers will still look slightly pale. They firm up as they cool. Don't overbake or they'll be dry. The corn flour dries out faster than wheat.

7. 7

   Cool and serve

   Let the broas cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They're best eaten the same day, still slightly warm, with a strong coffee. But they'll keep in a tin for several days, and they soften beautifully if you warm them for a few seconds before eating.

Chef Tips

• •The corn flour must be fine, not coarse polenta or cornmeal. Look for farinha de milho fina in Portuguese markets, or use the finest corn flour you can find. Some Italian markets carry finely ground corn flour that works well.
• •Traditional recipes sometimes use lard instead of butter. If you want to be truly authentic, use 100g lard. The flavor is different, earthier, and the texture even more tender.
• •These keep well in a tin for 3 to 4 days. They actually improve on day two as the flavors meld. Warm them briefly in a low oven before serving if they've been stored.
• •In Minho, they sometimes add a splash of aguardente (grape brandy) to the dough. A tablespoon won't hurt if you have it. If not, don't worry about it.

Advance Preparation

• •The dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before shaping, as cold dough will be too stiff to work with.
• •Baked broas freeze well for up to 1 month. Thaw at room temperature and warm briefly in a 150°C oven before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 30g)