Makes: 16 units
Preparation Time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Level: Medium
INGREDIENTS
- 6 LARGE EGGS
- ½ TEACUP PLUS ¾ TEACUP OF SUGAR
- ½ TEACUP OF ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
- 1 SHALLOW TABLESPOON OF BAKING POWDER
- 1½ TEACUPS OF CREAMY DULCE DE LECHE
PREPARATION
Using a beater, whip the eggs and ½ teacup of sugar until obtaining a light and yellowish cream. Add the sifted flour and baking powder, mixing gently. Transfer to a greased tin and bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for about 25 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Remove from the tin and cut portions of bem-casado with a round or square cutter. Cut those in half and fill with the dulce de leche. For the frosting, make a syrup with ¾ teacup of sugar and ½ teacup of water. Carefully coat the bem-casados. Another way to do it is to bake them individually, by putting the batter into a pastry bag and making small bunches on a baking paper or silicon mat.
IN DETAIL
During colonial times, in Northern Portugal, treats called “casadinhos” were popular – the name, literally “married”, refers to their two parts, which are glued together with a pasty sweet. But the bem-casado found in Brazilian wedding receptions is Brazilian through and through. The custom of wrapping them in crepe paper, tulle, and ribbons seems to have appeared in doll christening games played in the country side of Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
