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Pavê de pêssego
Pavê: Brazilian Christmas layered dessert of milk-soaked biscuits, vanilla custard, peaches and cream
No Brazilian Christmas or New Year table feels complete without a glass dish of pavê in the fridge, and the old joke at every family supper is 'é pavê ou pra comer?' ('is it pavê or is it for eating?'). Rows of Maria or champagne biscuits are softened in milk or peach syrup, then layered with a thick vanilla custard made from condensed milk and egg yolks, sliced peaches and a cloud of whipped cream. It is cool, creamy and fruity, a relief after a heavy ceia. Chocolate pavê is just as common: replace the peaches with a chocolate layer, as in the tip. Too much soaking liquid is the classic fault, and the dessert collapses into a pool in the base. Chef's tip: dip each biscuit for a single count in the syrup; they keep softening overnight in the custard. For chocolate pavê, stir 100 g melted dark chocolate into half the custard and layer it in place of the peaches.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the custard
For the layers
To decorate
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Whisk 2 cups whole milk, 14 oz sweetened condensed milk, 3 egg yolks and 2 tbsp cornflour in a saucepan until smooth.
Step 2: Cook over a medium heat, whisking constantly, for 8–10 minutes, until it bubbles and thickens to a custard that coats the back of a spoon thickly. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract, cover the surface with cling film and cool for 20 minutes.
10 minStep 3: Drain 1 ¾ lb peach halves in syrup into a shallow bowl to collect the syrup (you need about 200 ml). Slice the peaches thinly, keeping a few slices for the top.
Step 4: Dip half of the 4 ½ oz Maria biscuits or sponge fingers one at a time into the syrup for a second and lay them over the base of a 20 × 25 cm glass dish.
Step 5: Spread half the custard over, then cover with half the peach slices. Repeat with the rest of the 4 ½ oz Maria biscuits or sponge fingers, custard and peaches.
Step 6: Whip 1 cup double cream with 2 tbsp icing sugar to soft peaks and spread over the top. Decorate with the saved peach slices and 1 oz dark chocolate if you like.
Step 7: Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, until the biscuits are soft right through and the pavê cuts cleanly.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pavê de pêssego take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 15 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.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- 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 sweetened condensed milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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