Morgadinhos are the small, party-friendly cousins of the Algarve’s grand almond cakes. Each one is a tiny almond shell hiding a spoonful of sweet egg-yolk cream.
They look elaborate, but once the two mixtures are cool, assembly is simple. A candied cherry on top gives them a cheerful, old-school Christmas finish.
Morgadinhos do Algarve (Mini Algarve Almond Cakes) Recipe
What you need
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 g) ground almonds
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) sugar, divided
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) water, divided
- 6 egg yolks
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 18 candied cherries
Cook along
Instructions
- Cook half the sugar with half the water for 4 minutes, then stir in almonds, lemon zest, and cinnamon until a thick paste forms. Cool.
- Cook the remaining sugar and water for 5 minutes. Temper into the yolks and cook gently until thick; cool.
- Line mini muffin cups. Press almond paste into each cup to form a shell, add a teaspoon of yolk filling, and seal with more almond paste.
- Top each with a candied cherry and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12 to 16 minutes.
- Cool completely before lifting from the molds.
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