Orange Roll

The citrus fruits were introduced into Portugal and Iberian Peninsula by the arabes who had themselvs brought them from eastern countries. In Portugal they are cultivated mainly in the Setúbal and Algarve regions. Oranges from the Algarve are the best for the table and oranges from Setúbal are smaller and used for the table and for juices, jams and preserves.

Oranges are adopted as a flavouring for puddings, cakes, biscuits, desserts and homemade liqueurs. Their peel can be candied and is very popular for cakes.

This roll is a very popular dessert in Portugal, made with orange juice and orange rind.

Ingredients:

1/4 pint (150 ml)pure orange juice
grated rind of 1 orange
2 tablespoon cornflour
10 oz (280 gr) caster sugar
8 large eggs

Preparation:

Dissolve the flour in the juice and mix in the sugar, grated ring and beaten eggs. Combine well, without whisking too hard. Prepare a baking tray suitable for a roll, 8x12 inches ( 20 x 30) well grased and lined. The lining paper must also be greased and sprinkled with sugar.

Pour the mixture onto this and bake at 180ºC/350ªF/Gas 4 for 15-20 minutes until firm. turn into a sligtly damp cloth, sprinkled with sugar. Trim the edges and roll up carefully, with the help of the cloth. Put in a serving dish and sprinkled again with sugar, when cold.

Ham, Cheese and Bacon Roll (Bola de fiambre, queijo e bacon)

In Portugal we have got many types of bread but there's also a big variety of enriched breads called "bolas". They are rolls stuffed with ham, bacon, codfish, chicken and other meats.They are original from the North of Portugal and in the past people usually made them to celebrate Christmas, Easter or other special ocasions. Now we can find them in the village baker or in a local market.

Ingredients:
400 gr (14 oz) strong white flour
275 ml (10 fl oz) of warm water
25 gr (1 oz) fresh yeast
2 eggs
2 tbsp of sugar
50 gr ( 2 oz) butter
1 pinch of salt
slices of ham, bacon and cheese

Preparation:

Crumble or prinkle the yeast into a small bowl, add a splash of water and mix until smooth. In a bowl mix the flour, salt, and the yeast mixture. Then add the eggs, sugar, butter and the rest of warm water.

Knead for about 5 minutes or until really smooth and supple. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise until doubled in size in a warm place.

Knead lightly for 1 minute.

Then make a roll out to a rectangle not very thin and cover it with slices of cheese, ham and bacon.Roll up the dough firmly. Put it in a greased baking sheet and rised until doubled in size. When the roll is ready, glaze with egg and bake it for 20 minutes at 200ºC (400ºF).