Finally we arrived in December. Christmas is surely my favorite time of the year – the decorations, the music, the holiday cheer… and of course, the desserts!
Although I am also a big of trying sweets from abroad, I must admit traditional portuguese desserts are some of the most diverse and interesting. As such, I always want to include some of them on my Christmas Eve table.
Sericaia is one of those sweets – and one of the best ones. There are many different recipes, but my preference is from the convent of Elvas. It is served with the local plum jam, which you can buy in gourmet product stores. Alternatively, you can have it with another fruit jam of your choice, or eat it plain as it is.
Sericaia with plum jam
for a Christmas that tastes like Alentejo
Ingredients
- 8 eggs (separated)
- 120 g white sugar
- 120 g yellow sugar
- 650 ml milk
- peel of 1 lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 80 g all-purpose flour
- cinnamon powder
- 1 jar of plum jam (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 º C.
- Bring the milk to a boil with the lemon peel and the cinnamon stick. Set aside.
- Separate the whites from the egg yolks. Beat yolks with sugar for a few minutes until it is a paler color.
- Add the flour and fold it into the mix.
- Slowly pour the milk on the yolk mixture, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until it thickens.
- Transfer this cream to a bowl and let it cool down.
- In the meantime, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks in the mixer.
- Carefully fold the egg whites into the yolk cream, leaving you with a smooth mixture.
- Distribute spoonfuls of this mixture in a deep clay dish traditionally used for sericaia. Dust the top generously with cinnamon powder.
- Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes – test it with a skewer. It should come out clean in the edges, but still slightly moist in the center.
- Let it cool down and serve with the plum jam.
