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Tejas

Name: Tejas
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 90 min
Cuisine: Peruvian
Ingredients: 397 g sweetened condensed milk; 170 ml evaporated milk; 0.5 tsp vanilla extract; 120 g pecan halves; 400 g sugar; 150 ml water; 0.25 tsp cream of tartar; 1 tsp lime juice

Pecan and manjar blanco sweets

Tejas: Ica's pecan and manjar blanco sweets in a crisp white fondant shell

Features:Vegetarian

Cuisine:

Peruvian

Ica's sweet shops, along the road into town and around the main square, stack tejas in long rows, each one wrapped in white tissue paper with frilled ends. Inside the thin, crackly sugar shell is a soft centre of manjar blanco with a pecan or a piece of candied fruit; Ica has been making them since the 19th century and they are the city's best-known souvenir. They are intensely sweet, so one or two with coffee is enough. The hard part is the fondant: stir it while it's too hot and it turns grainy and opaque too early, so let the syrup cool before working it. This version makes a quick manjar blanco from condensed and evaporated milk and uses pecans; candied lime or orange peel works the same way. Chef's tip: chill the filled centres until firm before dipping; warm ones melt into the fondant and lose their shape.

Total time: 90 min
Difficulty: medium
Serves: 20

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Ingredients

Serves20

For the filling

14 oz sweetened condensed milkone can
¾ cup evaporated milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
4 oz pecan halvesabout 40 halves; or candied orange or lime peel

For the fondant

14 oz sugar
¾ cup water
¼ tsp cream of tartaror 1 tbsp liquid glucose
1 tsp lime juice

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Method

0/6 done

Step 1: Whisk 14 oz sweetened condensed milk and ¾ cup evaporated milk in a heavy pan and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until very thick and caramel-coloured and a spoonful holds its shape on a cold plate, 25–30 minutes. Stir in ½ tsp vanilla extract and cool completely.
30 min
Step 2: Take a heaped teaspoon of the cooled manjar blanco, about 15 g, and press it between two 4 oz pecan halves halves into a small oval. Repeat to make about 20, set them on a lined tray and chill for 30 minutes, until firm.
30 min
Step 3: For the fondant, put 14 oz sugar, ¾ cup water and ¼ tsp cream of tartar in a small heavy pan over a medium heat and stir only until the sugar dissolves. Brush down the sides with a wet pastry brush.
Step 4: Boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 250°F (soft-ball stage), about 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp lime juice, then pour it into a heatproof bowl and leave it untouched until it cools to about 122°F, 15 minutes.
25 min
Step 5: Beat the syrup with a wooden spoon until it turns from clear to milky white and thick, 3–5 minutes. If it sets too firm, warm it over a pan of hot water until it flows again.
5 min
Step 6: Dip each chilled centre into the fondant with a fork, let the excess drip off and set it on baking paper. Leave until the shell is dry and crisp, about 30 minutes, then wrap each one in a square of tissue paper.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 190 kcal
Protein: 3 g
Carbs: 31 g
Fat: 7 g
Fibre: 1 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does tejas take?: About 90 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?: 20 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 sweetened condensed milk?: Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
What can I use instead of evaporated milk?: Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).

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