Azevias de Grão (Alentejo Christmas Chickpea Pastries)

My Alentejo-born neighbor Dona Graça (the one who taught me to say no to store-bought anything) once handed me a plate of golden half-moon pastries at Christmas and told me to guess the filling. I guessed almonds, then sweet potato, then pumpkin. When she said chickpeas, Lucas, my savory quality control officer, put his second one down in protest. Then he picked it back up and ate it, which is the highest compliment a nine-year-old can pay a dessert.

Azevias de grão are an old convent-style sweet from the Alentejo and the Algarve, made when the pantry had chickpeas, eggs, and sugar but the budget did not stretch to anything fancier. The filling is a soft, cinnamon-scented chickpea and egg yolk paste, wrapped in a thin olive oil dough and fried until blistered. Think of a very humble cousin of the egg yolk sweets I make for Dom Rodrigo (recipe on the site) and Papos de Anjo (recipe on the site).

They are a lovely alternative to the usual Christmas lineup of Filhós (recipe on the site) and Rabanadas (recipe on the site), and they keep for days in a tin. Sofia, my baking apprentice, crimps the edges with a fork, which is not traditional but is extremely cute and also seals them better than my thumbs ever did. Max, our dog, supervises from under the table for dropped pastries, with limited success.

Azevias de Grão Recipe

Prep time: 45 minutes · Cook time: 30 minutes · Total: 1 hour 15 minutes · Servings: about 24 pastries · Calories: ~165 per serving

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup (120 ml) warm water
• ¼ cup (60 ml) dry white wine or fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fine salt
• For the filling:
• 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (120 ml) water
• 4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 cinnamon stick, plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• To fry and finish:
• About 3 cups neutral oil for frying (canola or sunflower)
• ½ cup (100 g) sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Make the dough: whisk the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, warm water, and wine and mix until it comes together, then knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap and rest it at room temperature for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make the filling: purée the chickpeas in a food processor until very smooth, scraping down the sides. For the silkiest result, pass the purée through a fine sieve.
3. Simmer the sugar, water, and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan for 5 minutes to a light syrup. Remove the stick, stir in the chickpea purée and orange zest, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 10 to 12 minutes until it pulls away from the bottom of the pan.
4. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 3 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks quickly, then return to low heat and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes until very thick (the yolks need to reach 160°F). Stir in the ground cinnamon and cool completely.
5. Roll the dough very thin, about ⅛ inch, on a floured surface. Cut 4-inch circles. Place a heaping teaspoon of filling on each, fold into half-moons, and press the edges firmly closed, then crimp with a fork.
6. Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F. Fry the azevias in small batches for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden and blistered. Drain on a rack.
7. Toss them in the cinnamon sugar while still warm and let cool before serving.

Recipe Notes

• Skin-free chickpeas make a smoother filling. Rubbing them in a kitchen towel loosens the skins quickly, but a good food processor and a sieve do the job too.
• Seal the edges well. If filling leaks into the oil it can spatter, so use a light touch and do not overfill.
• You can bake them instead at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes after brushing with beaten egg. They will be less blistered but still delicious.
• Store in an airtight tin for up to 4 days. Canned chickpeas are perfectly authentic for this recipe, and Goya or any store brand works well.