Ovos Moles
Ingredients
- 8 egg yolks
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- wafer shell molds (store-bought or homemade from flour, water and oil)
A specialty of Aveiro, ovos moles ('soft eggs') began, like many Portuguese convent sweets, as a way for nuns to use up egg yolks left over from using the whites elsewhere. The yolks are cooked slowly with sugar into a thick, glossy paste, then piped or spooned into small wafer capsules molded into nautical shapes — shells, fish, barrels — evoking Aveiro's lagoon.
Method
Make a sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in the water and cooking until it reaches a light thread consistency.
Whisk the egg yolks and strain them to remove any chalazae for a smooth texture.
Slowly stream the hot syrup into the yolks, whisking constantly.
Return the mixture to low heat and cook gently, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a smooth, spoonable paste — take care not to let it scramble.
Let the mixture cool slightly.
Pipe or spoon the yolk paste into pre-made wafer shell halves, then seal pairs together with a little egg white to form the final shapes.
