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1
Make the Sugar Syrup
10 Mins
Boiling syrup, 100°C (212°F)
Put 150 g of the sugar and the 120 ml of water in a small pan, stir once, and boil for 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is clear. Take it off the heat.
Do not stir the syrup while it boils — stirring can make the sugar crystallise.
Done when: A clear syrup with no sugar grains left.
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2
Cook the Almond-Egg Filling
10 Mins
Gentle heat, about 80°C (175°F); do not boil
Stir the ground almonds into the hot syrup, then leave it for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl, then whisk in the warm almond syrup a spoonful at a time. Return the pan to the lowest heat with the butter, vanilla, lemon zest and cinnamon, and stir for 3–4 minutes until the cream is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take it off the heat and cool completely.
If the filling looks grainy, the heat was too high — keep it low and stir all the time.
Done when: A thick, smooth cream that holds its shape on a spoon.
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3
Roll and Cut the Pastry
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and line a baking tray with baking paper. Roll the thawed puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface to about 3 mm thick and cut it into 8 rectangles, about 14 cm by 10 cm.
Keep the pastry cold — if it gets soft and sticky, chill it for 10 minutes before cutting.
Done when: 8 even rectangles with clean, straight edges.
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4
Fill and Fold the Pillows
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the cooled filling down the centre of each rectangle, leaving a 1 cm border. Brush the edges with water, fold the pastry over the filling, and press the edges firmly with a fork to seal. Pinch the two ends closed.
Do not overfill — too much cream leaks out and glues the pastry to the tray.
Done when: Neat, sealed pillows with no filling escaping at the edges.
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5
Egg Wash and Bake
25 Mins
Oven at 200°C (400°F)
Brush the beaten egg over the tops of the pillows. Set them on the lined tray, seam side down, and bake at 200°C (400°F) for 20–25 minutes until deep golden, puffed and crisp.
Leave space between the pillows — they puff up to almost twice their size.
Done when: Deep golden tops, crisp layers, and no pale, soft spots.
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6
Cool and Dust with Sugar
10 Mins
Cooling, about 40°C (104°F)
Leave the pastries on the tray for 5 minutes, then move them to a rack. While they are still warm, dust them generously with the remaining 30 g of sugar so it sticks to the crust.
Dust while warm — sugar will not stick to a cold, dry crust.
Done when: A white sugar dusting over crisp, golden pastry.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the travesseiros warm or at room temperature, dusted with sugar, with a small strong coffee. Eat them the day they are baked — the pastry is at its crispest then.
Portugal
50m
