Cavacas das Caldas

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Wooden spoon
• •Piping bag with large round tip (optional)
• •Wire cooling rack
• •Baking sheets

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare your workspace

   Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Sift the flour now if you haven't already. Have your eggs cracked into a bowl, ready to add one at a time. Choux waits for no one. Everything must be ready before you start.

2. 2

   Make the panade

   In a heavy saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt, and sugar. Set it over medium heat and bring to a rolling boil. The butter must be completely melted before the water boils. Watch it. Stir it. The moment it reaches a full boil, all at once, dump in all the flour.

   The butter and water must boil together. If the water boils before the butter melts, you lose moisture to evaporation. The proportions shift. The cavacas suffer.
3. 3

   Cook the dough

   Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a smooth ball. Keep stirring over the heat for another minute or two. You're drying the dough, cooking out excess moisture. A thin film will form on the bottom of the pan. That's good. That means you've done it right. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the eggs

   Add the eggs one at a time, beating vigorously after each addition. The dough will look broken and slippery at first. Keep beating. It will come back together into a smooth, glossy paste that holds soft peaks. When you lift the spoon, the dough should fall in a thick ribbon that holds its shape for a moment before sinking back. This is your test. If it's too stiff, the cavacas won't puff. If it's too loose, they'll spread flat.

   Room temperature eggs matter here. Cold eggs shock the warm dough and won't incorporate properly. Set them out an hour before you start.
5. 5

   Shape the cavacas

   Using two spoons or a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, drop mounds of dough onto the prepared sheets, spacing them 5cm apart. Each mound should be about the size of a walnut in its shell. Don't fuss with perfect shapes. Cavacas are rustic. They puff where they want to puff.

6. 6

   Bake until golden

   Bake for 25-30 minutes until deeply golden and puffed. Do not open the oven door for the first 20 minutes. I know you want to look. Don't. The steam inside the oven is what makes them rise. Open the door and they collapse. After 20 minutes, you can peek. They should be golden, firm to the touch, and hollow-sounding when tapped. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let them dry inside for another 10 minutes.

   The grandmothers in Caldas say: if they're pale, they're not done. If they collapse when you take them out, they needed more time. Golden and proud, that's what you want.
7. 7

   Make the glaze

   While the cavacas cool, make the glacê. Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of water. Whisk until completely smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable, coating the back of a spoon thickly. Add more water by the teaspoon if needed. It should flow slowly, like honey in winter.

8. 8

   Glaze and set

   Dip each cooled cavaca into the glaze, turning to coat completely. Let the excess drip off for a moment, then place on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. The glaze will pool slightly at the base. That's traditional. Let them set for at least 30 minutes. The glaze will harden into a sweet, crackly shell. The contrast between that crisp exterior and the soft, hollow interior is what makes these special.

Chef Tips

• •The dough must be warm, not hot, when you add the eggs. Too hot and you'll scramble them. Too cool and they won't incorporate. Five minutes of resting after cooking is the right amount.
• •Humidity affects the glaze. On damp days, it takes longer to set and may stay slightly tacky. Make these on a dry day if you can, or accept a softer shell.
• •The cavacas must be completely cool before glazing. If they're warm, the glaze soaks in instead of setting on the surface. Patience here.
• •Store in an airtight container once the glaze is set. They keep for 2-3 days but are best eaten within 24 hours when the contrast between crisp glaze and soft interior is sharpest.

Advance Preparation

• •The choux dough can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept covered at room temperature. Stir well before shaping.
• •Unglazed baked cavacas can be stored in an airtight container overnight and glazed the next day. Refresh them in a 150°C oven for 5 minutes to re-crisp before glazing.
• •The glaze must be made fresh. It doesn't keep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 45g)