Sweets and desserts

Morgado do Algarve

A rich, festive Algarvian sweet of ground almonds and fios de ovos (fine egg threads).

RegionAlgarve
DifficultyHard
Total time1 hour 20 minutes
Yield12 slices
Photo of Morgado do Algarve - traditional Portuguese sweet
Photo of the traditional Portuguese recipe.

Editorial content from Empório Portugal. Traditional recipes may vary by region, family and cook.

About the recipe

Morgado do Algarve belongs to the almond confectionery tradition of southern Portugal.

It is a celebration sweet, with an almond paste shell and a filling of fios de ovos (fine egg threads) or egg yolk sweet.

Ingredients

  • 350 g ground almonds
  • 300 g sugar
  • 150 ml of water
  • 8 egg yolks
  • fios de ovos (fine egg threads) or egg yolk sweet
  • Optional cinnamon
  • Sugar for dusting

Method

  1. Prepare an almond paste with sugar syrup.
  2. Cook the egg yolks with syrup to make an egg yolk sweet.
  3. Roll out part of the paste into a small shape.
  4. Fill with egg yolk sweet or fios de ovos (fine egg threads).
  5. Cover with more almond paste.
  6. Bake in a low oven just until set.

Tips from Empório Portugal

  • The almond paste should not dry out.
  • Use low heat when cooking the egg yolk sweet.
  • Serve in thin slices.

Possible substitutions in Brazil

  • Almond flour replaces ground almonds.
  • Ready-made fios de ovos (fine egg threads) can simplify the recipe.

Pairing

Coffee, black tea or a fortified wine. Content intended for people over 18 years of age. Drink in moderation.

Editorial note from Empório Portugal

This recipe is part of the editorial curation of Empório Portugal, developed from Portuguese culinary tradition. Like every traditional recipe, it may vary by region, family and cook.

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Quick facts

Prep
50 min
Cooking
30 min
Total time
1 hour 20 minutes
Yield
12 slices
Difficulty
Hard
Occasion
Festivals, regional sweets

Pairing

Coffee, black tea or a fortified wine. Content intended for people over 18 years of age. Drink in moderation.

Empório tip

The almond paste should not dry out.

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