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Biscoito de polvilho
Crunchy cassava starch rings
Biscoito de polvilho: hollow, crunchy Minas rings piped from sour cassava starch, egg and oil
Light enough to float off the plate, these rings are sold by the bagful at bus stations, beaches and football grounds all over Brazil, but they belong to Minas Gerais, where sour cassava starch (polvilho azedo) has been made for centuries. Scalding the starch with hot milk, water and oil and then beating in eggs gives a sticky paste that puffs in a hot oven into crisp, airy, slightly tangy shells. Mineiros eat them with coffee in the afternoon or nibble them all day. Bake them in a hot oven and do not open the door: the rings collapse into flat, hard discs if the heat drops in the first 20 minutes. Chef's tip: the paste should pipe like thick mayonnaise; add a spoon of water if it is too stiff, because a soft dough is what makes the biscuits hollow.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb sour cassava starch (polvilho azedo)from Brazilian shops
- 2 tsp salt
- ¾ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup waterplus a little extra if needed
- ¾ cup neutral oil
- 2 eggs
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and line two baking trays with baking paper. Put 1 ⅛ lb sour cassava starch (polvilho azedo) and 2 tsp salt in a large bowl.
Step 2: Bring ¾ cup whole milk, ¾ cup water and ¾ cup neutral oil to the boil in a pan over a medium heat.
4 minStep 3: Pour the boiling liquid over the starch and mix with a wooden spoon until it forms a lumpy, crumbly mass. Leave for 5 minutes, until just warm.
5 minStep 4: Add 2 eggs one at a time, beating hard with the spoon or a mixer after each, until the dough is smooth, sticky and thick enough to pipe. Add 1–2 tablespoons of water if it is stiff.
Step 5: Spoon into a piping bag with a 1 cm plain or star nozzle and pipe rings about 7 cm across, well spaced, onto the trays.
Step 6: Bake for 25–30 minutes without opening the oven door, until puffed, dry and very lightly golden. They should sound hollow when tapped.
28 minStep 7: Turn off the oven and leave the biscuits inside with the door ajar for 10 minutes to crisp. Cool on a rack and store in an airtight tin for up to a week.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 41 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does biscoito de polvilho take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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