Soft Cheese Slices (fatias de Requeijão)

This is a Traditional recipe from Alentejo usually done at farmhouses because the farmers do their own cheese and they use it to prepare this kind of cake-pudding.

Ingredients:

1 lb (450 gr) soft cheese (riccota, requeijão)

7 oz (200 gr) granulated sugar

4 oz (110 gr) flour

4 egg yolks

6 whole eggs

1 coffeespoon cinnamon

Preparation:

Combine the sugar with the cheese, to obtain a soft paste. Add the flour, the cinnamon, the eggs and the egg yolks. Mix very well. Prepare a baking tray , 8x12 inches (20.5 x 30.5) well greased and lined.

The lining paper must also be greased and sprinkled with flour. Pour the mixture onto this and bake at 180ºc/350ºF/Gas 4 for 20 minutes, until firm and golden.

Cut the cake into slices and sprinkle with icing sugar or cinnamon.

Pasta Pudding - Aletria

This is a traditional dessert from Minho and Douro Litoral provinces. The pasta ( fine noodles or vermicelli) is used in this recipe for a sweet resembling rice pudding, portuguese style. It usually served in large serving dishes or in a bowl and then take out of it only when quite cold.

Ingredients:

4 oz(90 gr) vermicelli, just crumbled

4 oz(110 gr caster sugar)

1/2 pint (300 ml) milk

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons butter

cinnamon

1 piece of lemon rind

Preparation:

Cook the pasta in plain water with a pinch of salt. Drain. Mix with the milk, sugar and lemon rind. Bring to the boil and simmer until creamy. Mix the butter and beaten egg yolks. Bring just to the boil for one second and remove from the heat. pour into a serving dish or in a bowl and dust with cinnamon. Serve cold.