Papas de Milho Doces (Trás-os-Montes Sweet Cornmeal Breakfast Porridge)

This is old-fashioned, farmhouse breakfast food, the kind my grandmother made on cold mornings before school with whatever cornmeal was sitting in the pantry. It’s Portugal’s answer to sweet polenta or grits, cooked low and slow until it turns silky.

Papas de milho doces isn’t fancy and it doesn’t need to be. A little sugar, a cinnamon stick, a strip of lemon zest, and patience are really all it takes, which made it the kind of dish a busy household could make without much fuss on a school morning.

I make this now on the coldest weekend mornings, usually alongside broa de milho (recipe on the site) later in the week from whatever cornmeal I have left over. Sofia likes hers with extra honey and toasted walnuts, which turns it into something closer to dessert for breakfast, and I’m not going to stop her.

Papas de Milho Doces Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes · Cook time: 20 minutes · Total: 25 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~260 per serving

Ingredients

• 3 cups whole milk
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar, plus more to taste
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 strip lemon zest
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Ground cinnamon, for serving
• Honey, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the milk, water, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, and salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
2. Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the cornmeal in a thin stream to prevent lumps.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, 15 to 20 minutes, until thick and smooth.
4. Stir in the sugar and butter; cook 2 more minutes, adjusting sugar to taste.
5. Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon zest.
6. Spoon into bowls, dust with ground cinnamon, and drizzle with honey if using. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

• Keep whisking as you add the cornmeal or you’ll end up with lumps; a steady, thin stream is the trick.
• Leftovers set up firm once cooled. Slice the cold papas and pan-fry the pieces in a little butter for a crispy-edged breakfast the next day.
• Look for fine yellow cornmeal (sometimes labeled corn flour or fubá) at Latin or Portuguese grocery stores if your regular supermarket only carries coarse polenta-style grind.
• This scales up easily for a crowd; just keep the milk-to-cornmeal ratio the same and use your biggest pot.