Ana Taveira's Azores traditional recipes - Christmas

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The Azores's
Christmas recipes

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Index: A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V X Z

Banana bread

Beans Corvo Island

Beans in the oven

Bread pudding

Chile cakes

Chocolate Geingerbread cookies

Christmas bread pudding

Christmas cake (I)

Christmas cake (II)

Christmas Pudding (I)

Christmas Pudding (II)

Christmas pudding (III)

Christmas star

Christmas Stuffed Chicken (Terceira Isl.)

Christmas sugar cookies

Christmas tree cake

Creamy Shrimp

Danish Salmon

Dona Amélia Cakes (Terceira Isl.)

Duck with fruits

Fish in the oven Portuguese style

Hawaiian chicken

Milk caramels

Milk liqueur

No oven Cake

Old fashion turkey

Party roast

Rabbits, piggeons or chicken "gibelote"

Rapid egg desert

Special doughnuts

Stewed beans

Sweet-potato bunns

Egg nogg
(Licor de ovo)

Shoping list:

5 egg yolks
250 grs sugar
1/2 l fresh cream
1/2 l. good cognac, Macieira 5 stars

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar, add the cream and alchoolic drind beating constantly. Keep in a bottle in the refrigerator, serving with little cinnammon.

Milk liqueur
(Licor de leite)

Shoping list:

150 grs. bitter sweet chocolate (cooking)
2 kg sugar
2 l alcool (Vodka or other)
2 l milk
1 white lemon in squares

Mix everything together and leave for 10 days stirring everyday. After that period use a cloth as filter to take the chunks of chocolate and lemon.
Afterwards filter through appropriate paper filters sold in drugstore (this recipe will be hard to make as the right kind of alchool is not sold abroad)

Old fashion turkey
(Peru á moda antiga)

Shoping list:

500 grs salt
1/2 c. brandy
1 kg oranges (Bitter)
500 grs lemons
1 c. olive oil
2 tbsp. lard/butter

In the original recipe they tell you how to get the turkey drunk to be killed and all that goes with it.
Nowadays you just have to defrost the turkey, make a few holes with a fork and pour the brandy over. Let it soak while you prepare the stuffing. Before taking into the oven you put all the spices.

Stuffing:

giblets
1/2 c. olive oil
125 grs. butter
150 grs uncured bacon
150 grs salted pork
2 onions
garlic
olives
2 c. white wine
4 eggs
parsley
200 grs yesterday's bread crumbled
salt

Add in a pan the olive oil, butter, onio, garlic, olives all cut into small pieces. Mix the other ingredients adding a glass of water. Let it cook well (After this stage I use the pressure cooker).
When cooked take the neck out and choose the meat. Beat the eggs with parsley, the bread and mix all together. You may fill the craw or the bird all together.

Stewed beans
(Feijão assado seco)

Shoping list:

dried beans (red or white)
Onion
vinager
salt
garlic
black pepper
oil

Soak the beans overnight. Cut the onion and garlic in pieces and fry a little in the oil. Add the beans and some vinager and just cover with water. It's faster if you use the pressure cooker.

Beans in the oven
(Feijão assado)

Shoping list:

0,5 kg of dried beans
1 onion
salt
sugar or honey
200 grs. italian or portuguese sausage
3 tbsp. of lard

Soak the beans overnight. Make a stew with the onion and lard, add the soaked beans and the sausage. Cook well.
Put into an oven dish cover with honey and let it toast in the oven.

Beans Corvo Island
(Feijão assado do Corvo)

Shoping list:

0,5 l. red beans
45 grs. lard
0,5 dl. olive oil
garlic
tomato paste
2 sausages
300 grs of uncured bacon

Soak the beans overnight. Cook the meats and the other ingredients. Witn the water cook the beans. Cut the bacon and sausage in pieces and let it boil all together again. In a clay pot take to the oven until it dries.

Rabbits, piggeons or chicken "gibelote"
(Feijão assado do Corvo)

Shoping list:

pieces of the meat you will use
lard
butter
1 tbsp. flour
meat broth
white wine
sal
pepper
onion
laurel
thyme

Place the pieces of the meats in a pan with butter and let it turn golden color. Add the flour and all the other ingredients and let it cook well. When ready take the meats from the broth and use it to cook small round potatoes, little onions. Rectify the taste.

Christmas Pudding (I)
(Pudim de Natal)

Shoping list:

260 grs. yesterday's bread
250 grs. brown or yellow sugar
100 grs. almonds
50 grs. raisins
100 grs. candied fruit
1 tsp cinnammon
juice and skin of lemon and orange
125 grs. melted butter or margerine
1 small glass of rhum
5 eggs
1 cup milk

Pour boiling water over the almonds to peal them off and cut in pieces, as well as the fruits and the bread.
Pour boiling milk over these ingredients, add some more if the mixture is too dry. When cold add the melted butter, the eggs and the other ingredients mixing well. Put in a "banho-maria" pan and let it cook for 50 minutes.
Unmold after cooling. You may decorate with caramel or cream.

Christmas Pudding (II)
(Pudim de Natal)

Shoping list:

600 grs sugar
500 grs raisins
18 egg yolks
nutmeg
1 bread without crust

Cover the sugar with water and let it melt well. Put the all the other ingredients, without the eggs. Let it boil a few minutes. When cold add the beaten egg yolks and mix well. Take to stove again to thicken. Place in a buttered and sugared bowl.
Leave in the refrigerator for next day. Unmold.

Cover:

1 cup sugar
2 dl O'Porto wine
6 egg yolks

Mix everything together and let it boil a little. When cool add the egg yolks stirring until thick enough to cover the pudding.
Don't through the egg whites away as there are plenty of cakes made only with egg whites. You may even freeze them to use later. A small coffee cup of egg whites correspond to two of them.

Sweet-potato bunns
(Broas de Natal)

Shoping list:

1/2 kg pureed sweet potato
1/2 kg sugar
350 grs. sugar
skin of orange
100 grs coconut
4 tbsp bread crumbs
3 eggs/1 egg yolk
200 grs. flour
200 grs. corn flour
100 grs. almonds
salt

Cook sweet potatoes, after peel them and reduce to puree. Add to 500 grs of sugar, take to the stove stirring constantly until boiling. When cool add the remaining sugar and all the other ingredients. Take to the stove again and mix well.
When cold shape in little buns almond shape, whith the beaten egg yolk spread over them and place into the oven unti golden brown.

Nut bread
(Pão de nozes)

Shoping list:

345 grs stiffed flour with 3 tsp baking powder
170 grs sugar
1/4 l milk
1 egg
1 c. nuts

Mix everything by hand. Place into a greased and floured bread pan. After golden brown take out of the oven. Let it cool and cut in thin slices, covering with butter.

Dona Amélia Cakes (Terceira Isl.)
(Bolinhos Dona Amélia - Ilha Terceira)

Shoping list:

250 grs of sugar
100 grs of fine maize flour
125 grs. of melted butter
cinnamon
ginger
dried raisins
4 eggs
2 egg whites
2 spoons of syrup

Beat the eggs with the sugar, add the flour, all the spices and the heated butter. Grease some cup cakes and fill with the dough. Take to the oven briefly as they shouldn't dry.
After ready pour over some confectioned sugar

Christmas Stuffed Chicken (Terceira Isl.)
(Galinha Recheada de Natal - Ilha Terceira)

Shoping list:

1 chicken large
garlic
onion
bay leaf
salt
White wine

Spices:

salt
malagueta
O'Porto wine
lemon juice

Stuffing:

chouriço/linguiça
giblets
bread
olives
tomato paste
garlic
onion
4 cls soup of olive oil
30 grs butter /lard

Just let boil the chicken a few minutes. When cool cover with the spices. For the stuffing put boiling milk over the bread making a paste, add the chouricço and giblets cut in piesces. Fry the onion and other ingredients, when done mix with the meats and bread.
Fill the chicken with this kind of dough. Cover the chicken with 2 glasses of wine and pieces of buttar.
Take into the oven until roasted.

Christmas cake
(Bolo de Natal)

Shoping list:

500 grs. sugar
500 grs. flour
500 grs. butter
500 grs. fruit
250 grs. mollasses
lemon skin and juice
Cognac, brandy or liqueur
6 eggs
nutmeg
cinnammon
1 tbsp. Baking powder

Cut the fruits in pieces and let them soak overnight in cognac, brandy or liqueur.
Beat softened butter until creamy and add the sugar, the egg yolks, mollasses, spices and the fruit alchoolic liquid. Squeeze the fruits well and mix with the flours adding to the mixture beatinng well, at last the stiffed egg whites.
Take to the oven in a greased and floured pan

Chocolate Geingerbread cookies
(Bolinhos de chocolate "Geingerbread")

Shoping list:

1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses or honey
3 cups flour
2 tbs cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Cream butter, add the sugar beating until fluffy, add the egg and syrup. Sift together remainin ingredients and stir in until well blended. Let it stand for one hour. On a floured surface roll out dough 3/16 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters (2 inch)and place on a greased baking sheet.
Bake 7 minutes removing from rack immediately.

Christmas sugar cookies
(Bolinhos de Açúcar do Natal)

Shoping list:

3/4 butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Cream butter add gradually the sugar, beat in the egg, stir in the rest of the ingredients. It makes a stiff dough. Wrap in waxed paper and let it stay in the refrigerator for 1 hour. On a floured surface roll as the gingerbread cookies, place on a ungreased baking sheet, 6 minutes until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
For the decoration use coloured icing

Creamy Shrimp
(Camarão Cremoso)

Shoping list:

400-g fresh shrimps
100 g butter
2 tbsp. flour
3 egg yokes
Lemon juice
Salt and parsley q.b.

Boil slightly the shrimps in salty water for about 5 minutes. Drain and peel. Put the heads in a "almofariz" and smash well. Drain and reserve the broth. In a separate pan put the butter to melt and add the shrimps until gold colour, add the flour previous dissolved in some of the broth. Mix the egg yokes, the lemon juice and parsley and some butter and the broth. Let cook for a few minutes and serve.

Fish in the oven Portuguese style
(Peixa Assado à Portuguesa)

Shoping list:

1 whole fish (pargo or goraz) or a large slice with about 1,5 kg
100 g chouriço or Italian sausage
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. lard
2 onions
6 ripe tomatoes
1 glass white wine
Parsley sprig
1 lemon
Salt and pepper q.b.

Fix and clean the fish wash and spice with the lemon juice and salt let it stand for 2 hours. Drain and place in an oven dish with the sliced onions, the seedless and peeled tomatoes and the parsley. Add the white wine and the other ingredients and the sliced sausage. Place in the oven for 25 minutes and cover with the broth once in a while until done.

Danish Salmon
(Salmão Dinamarquês)

Shoping list:

1 salmon
1 tbsp. salt
3 tbsp. sugar
Annett q.b.

For the gravy:

1 package of heavy cream
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice
Salt q.b.

Open the salmon longwise and take the main bone out. With the ingredients well mixed cover both halves of the fish and put the fish together again and wrap with a damp piece of cloth and let in the refrigerator for 72 hours turning over once in a while. After that period unwrap and pour a little more Annett. Mix all the broth with the cream and serve with the salmon

Meat Bread
(Pão de Carne)

Shoping list:

1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp. lard
100 g pork meat
100g bacon
1 bay leaf
1 parsley sprig
400 g bread dough
1 egg yoke
salt and pepper q.b.

In a frying pan fry the onion and garlic sliced over the lard. Add the bay leaf and 1 tbsp. of minced parsley. Spice to taste. Spread the bread dough shaping into a rectangle and pour the mixture inside taking out the bay leaf. Roll and place in a greased oven tray painting with the egg yolk. Place in the hot oven for about 40 minutes.

Party roast
(Assado de Festa)

Shoping list:

1 kg roast beef or other good meat
1 rosmaninho sprig
400 gr. mushrooms
10 slices of cheese
100 gr. of thin sliced bacon
1 tbsp. flour
2 dl heavy cream
butter
oil
salt
pepper
dry white wine
meat broth
parsley

Tie the meat placing inside the spice. Put in a pan with butter and oil to fry in all sides. Place the wine and gradually the meat broth. Let it cook for 90 minutes. Slice the mushrooms and cook them with the parsley. When the meat is done and after cooling slice it like the pages of a book so you can place between the slices the cheese and half slice of the bacon and place over the dish with the mushrooms. To the remaining gravy add some butter, flour and the cream as well as the meat broth and stir to make a thick gravy. Pour over the meat and place in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Duck with fruits
(Pato com Frutas)

Shoping list:

1 duck with about 2 kg
1 L champagne or similar wine
1 carrot
2 onions
150 g dried peaches
150 g dried prunes
100 g nuts
100 g raisins
50 g pines
3 apples
60 g butter
oil, salt, and pepper q.b.

Clean the duck and pour over the champagne. Add the sliced carrot and let it stand for a few hours. Drain and fry in a pan with oil. In an oven dish place the carrots and slice onions and the duck on top. Let it in the oven for about 50 minutes, covering with the broth once in a while. Soak the dried fruits and take out the pits. Drain, slice the apples and fry them. When the duck is well done take from the dish and cover with foil. To the remain gravy add the fruits and a little flour. You may serve with salad and potatoes.

No oven Cake
(Bolo que não vai ao Forno)

Shoping list:

3 eggs
100 g butter
150 g sugar
200 g crackers
coffee

Make the coffee. Blend the butter with the sugar until white, add the yolks and the stiffed egg whites. Slightly soak the crackers in the hot coffee and place in layers alternating with the blended mixture. Place a heavy instrument on top and let it stand for a few hours. Decorate to taste.

Chile cakes
(Pastelinhos de Chila)

Shoping list:

300 gr. chila cooked and prepared as it must or you may use preserve
150 gr. sugar
lemon rind
6 egg yokes
3 egg whites
1 calyx O'Porto wine
sugar and cinnamon

Separate all ingredients. Place in a bowl the chila pumpkin adding the sugar and lemon rind. Mix all the ingredients and add the stiffed egg whites. Add the Port wine. Shape into small balls and fry. Use an absorbent paper to take the excess grease and cover with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon.

Banana bread
(Pão de banana)

Shoping list:

50 g butter or margarine
150 g sugar
5 bananas
3 beaten eggs
225 g self-raising flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
125 g cut dried fruits
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. lemon juice

Grease a pan to fit 900 g. Beat the butter with the sugar until white and fluffy. Smash 4 bananas and add the yolks. Sift the flour with the cinnamon and mix. Add the dried fruits. Put in the greased pan and let it bake for 1 hour until the toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool. Use honey over the cake and pour the lemon juice. Decorate to taste.

Milk caramels
(Caramelos de leite)

Grease a pan. Empty a can of condensed milk and blend until you can see the bottom of the pan when stirring. Pour over a flat greased dish and cut while warm

Rapid egg desert
(Doce de ovos rápido)

Shoping list:

225 gr. sugar
4 egg yokes
1 c milk
Place everything over low heat until creamy, stirring.

Sticks
(Palitos)

Shoping list:

1 kg white maize flour (cooed)
1 Kg sugar
12 eggs or more
salt

Knead all the ingredients together adding the flour gradually, to become soft. Pour over a oven pan and place in the oven until baked. While warm cut in slices.

Bread pudding
(Pudim de Pão)

Shoping list:

3 slices of bread or more
5 eggs
jelly
200 gr. sugar
0,5 l milk

Cut 3 slices of bread (buns -papo-secos) and spread on one side some kind of jelly (raspberry, peach, strawberry, apple). Grease a Pyrex dish (8cmx20cm) and place the slices inside. In a bowl mix all the ingredients and blend well, pour over the bread until soaked. Place in the oven for 40/ 45 minutes, and see with the pick if it is well baked. Serve cold, covered with jelly.

Christmas cake
(Bolo de Natal)

Shoping list:

500 gr. flour
500 gr. butter
6 eggs
3 tsp. baking powder
lemon rind
nutmeg
1 calyx brandy
1 calyx Port wine
500 grs.candied fruits
125 gr. nuts
1,5 dl. Honey or syrup
2 varieties of jellies (2 tbsp.), quince, apple, raspberry, or other

Put the fruits in pieces and cover with flour. Blend the margarine with the sugar until creamy. Add the egg yokes, and sift the flour with the baking powder. Beat the egg whites until fluffy and add to the mixture. Place in a round well-greased and floured pan. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour, until the pick is clean. You must do a few days in advance.

Special doughnuts
(Rabanadas)

Shoping list:

2 egg yokes
3 tbsp. white sugar
1 c milk
1 c. heavy cream
vanilla(optional)
12 slices of yesterday's bread
oil
sugar
cinnamon
fresh fruits

Blend the egg yolks with the sugar until soft. Add slowly the milk and cram and the other ingredients. Pour over the bread and let soak for a few minutes. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan and fry each slice at a time until golden. Let it drip over a sheet of paper. Spread over them a mixture of sugar and cinnamon. You may eat with pieces of fresh fruit.

Christmas pudding
(Pudim de Natal)

Shoping list:

260 gr. bread
250 gr. yellow sugar
100 gr. almonds
50 gr. raisins
100 gr. cider or candied fruits
1 tsp. cinnamon
lemon juice and orange rind
125 gr. melted butter
1 calyx rum
5 eggs
1 c. milk
margarine to grease the pan
sugar

Scald the almonds, take the peal and slice or buy already prepared. Cut the dried fruits in pieces. Sift the sugar. Cut the bread in small squares and pour over boiling milk until soaked and smash with a wooden spoon. Add the beaten eggs, the melted butter, the orange juice and all the other ingredients. Grease a pan and sprinkle with sugar. Cook over bain-marie for 30 minutes. Let it cool. Unmold and serve with milk cream or liquid caramel.

Christmas star
(Torta Estrela do Natal)

Shoping list:

220 g flour
250 g sugar
4 eggs
8 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. baking powder

Beat the egg yolks with the water. Add the sugar, and the stiff egg whites. Pour in a greased pan and bake for 25 minutes. After cooling shape with toothpicks into a star and trim with a good knife. Open the star in the middle and wet with a mixture of water, rum and sugar. Fill with whipping cream or egg cream and cover with white frosting, as well as the trimmings Frosting: 1 c. sugar over stiff egg whites beating constantly until hard.

Christmas bread pudding
(Pudim de Pão de Natal)

Shoping list:

1 can condensed milk
Twice of milk
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
1 big apple without skin sliced
Cinnamon and sugar
2 yesterday's bread thinly sliced
150 g dried black plums cut
100 g raisins
100 g sliced nuts
butter

Beat the milks, eggs and vanilla. Reserve. Grease an oven dish and sprinkle with sugar. On the bottom place the sliced apples and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Soak the bread in the milk mixture and place over the apple. Put the plums and other dried fruits in layers finishing with the apple. Pour over the left milk mixture not filling the pan to the top. Put the pieces of butter and place in medium oven (180°C.) for 40 minutes. Serve hot.

Hawaiian chicken
(Galinha do Hawaii)

Shoping list:

3 - 4 lb. whole chicken
1 bottle of shaosing wine
8 oz. gengibre
4 oz. Green onion
8 oz. shrimp
1 lb. spare ribs
1 c. soy sauce
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste
1 c. oil
2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. peas, bamboo, carrots, black mushrooms

Rub the chicken with half of the soy sauce until the skin is light brown. Fry the chicken on both sides and place on a dish. On the pan place the spareribs on the bottom of the pan as well as the other ingredients except the peas, carrots and mushrooms. On top place the chicken and let it cook for 2 hours, covering with the broth once in a while. When done take out the chicken and place the peas, carrots and mushrooms. Add a little cornstarch to thicken the gravy.

Christmas tree cake
(Bolo Arvore de Natal)

Shoping list:

For the cake:

4 eggs
Same weights of butter or margarine, sugar and flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ c. cut nuts
1 calyx of rum or brandy
orange juice and the skin
In a round pan of 22 cm diam. well greased

For the tree:

wafers
Fruit jelly
coconut
green colour and Mm's
For the glaze: 3-tbsp. sugar, 1 egg white
3 drops of lemon juice
jelly beans
other candies

For the cream:

250-gr. margarine
300 gr. sugar
red colour
chocolate

Cut the wafers to shape half of a tree. Prepare the glaze beating the ingredients until it is a soft dough and sticks to the spoon. Stick with it the wafers to shape a tree, and let it dry. First stick the 2 opposite pieces and after the third one and the 4th. Let it dry.
Paint the tree with jelly and sprinkle green coloured coconut

For the cake: Mix the sugar with the margarine, the orange, rum and the eggs, the flour, the baking powder and the nuts. Pour in a greased pan and let it bake in medium oven.

Prepare the cream Put over the cooled cake and place the wafer tree on top. Use the pastry bag to decorate. On the ends of the wafer put the Mm's to remind lights. On top stick a lollipop or decorate to taste.

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