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Bem-casado
Bem-casado: two soft sponge discs sandwiched with doce de leite and glazed, the classic Brazilian wedding favour
BrazilianGuests leaving a Brazilian wedding are handed a bem-casado, 'well married', wrapped in crepe paper and tied with ribbon, as a wish for the couple's happiness. The sweet is said to have taken its modern shape in Campos dos Goytacazes, in the north of Rio de Janeiro state, where confectioners still make it by the thousand. Two thin, airy sponge rounds hold a layer of doce de leite and are dipped in a thin sugar glaze that sets matt white and slightly crisp, so the inside stays soft for days. Doce de leite is sold in jars in Latin shops; use a thick, spoonable one. Over-baking the discs is where most batches fail: they turn dry and crack when sandwiched. Chef's tip: pipe the batter in small rounds and pull them from the oven as soon as they spring back and the edges barely colour; pale is right.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 15
Ingredients
For the sponge discs
For the filling
For the glaze
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two baking trays with baking paper.
Step 2: Whisk 4 eggs and 4 oz sugar with an electric mixer on high for 8–10 minutes, until tripled in volume, very pale, and a ribbon of batter sits on the surface for a few seconds.
10 minStep 3: Add 1 tsp vanilla extract. Sift 4 oz plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder over the top in three goes, folding gently with a spatula after each until no flour shows, without knocking out the air.
Step 4: Spoon into a piping bag with a plain 1 cm nozzle and pipe 30 rounds about 5 cm across, well spaced, on the trays.
Step 5: Bake one tray at a time for 8–10 minutes, until the discs spring back when touched and the edges are only just golden.
10 minStep 6: Cool on the paper for 10 minutes, then peel off. Spread a heaped teaspoon of 10 ½ oz thick doce de leite on the flat side of half the discs and top with the rest, flat sides together.
Step 7: Mix 10 ½ oz icing sugar, 4 tbsp hot water and 1 tsp lemon juice to a smooth glaze the thickness of single cream. Dip each sandwich, turning with a fork, let the excess drip off and set on a wire rack over a tray.
Step 8: Leave for 1 hour, until the glaze is dry and matt. Wrap each in cellophane or crepe paper; they keep 4 days in an airtight box.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bem-casado take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 15 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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