Durante o domingo de Páscoa, em pequenas vilas e aldeias em todo o Algarve, as pessoas visitam familiares e amigos. Espera-se que aqueles que se visitam tenham Folar ou amêndoas cobertas de açúcar para oferecer como lanche. Se visitarem dez famílias, então experimentam 10 folares da Páscoa diferentes, o que contribui para um domingo muito feliz e doce! No Algarve o bolo de Páscoa é muito diferente do resto de Portugal. Algumas regiões fazem pão doce mais parecido a brioche; outras regiões usam carnes fumadas, como o presunto ou chouriço. Com camadas e aromatizado com canela só é conhecido por ser feito no Algarve, e por ser tão popular algumas lojas de souvenirs vendem folares durante todo o ano.
Uma tia minha costumava fazer vários folares, e pelo que me recordo eram os melhores que já provei. Como sou grande fã dessa guloseima de Páscoa, pedi que ela me explicasse os ingredientes usados para fazer bolos tão agradáveis. Na sua maneira amável, explicou, como ela usava um punhado disto, e uma pitada daquilo, sem medições precisas. Usando os ingredientes que me foram explicados, fiz muitos folares, uns que tinham bom aspecto mas que não eram muito gostosos, e uns muito gostosos mas não tinham um bom aspecto. Depois de muitas Páscoas, completei a minha receita, testada várias vezes, que funciona, com boa aparência e sabor ainda melhor. É também a tradição de manter algum folar ate ao dia do trabalhador que se festeja dia 1 de Maio, e fazer um piquenique com a família para comemorar o dia e comer o resto do Folar. Não sei como isso poderia ser possível, porque na minha casa, ele nunca iria durar tanto tempo, é delicioso quando esta fresquinho ou barrado com manteiga após alguns dias.
Para fazer o Folar
750g de farinha de trigo, peneirada
3 ovos ligeiramente batidos
1 colher de sopa de canela
1 colher de sopa casca de limão
280ml de leite
60g de manteiga sem sal, derretida
90ml azeite extra virgem
2 colheres de sopa de sementes de funcho (erva doce)
30g fermento fresco (ou 15g de fermento seco)
15g de sal
50g Açúcar amarelo
Para as camadas
300g Açúcar amarelo
2 colheres de sopa de canela
300g de manteiga sem sal
Num tacho pequena aquecer o leite com as sementes de erva-doce ate começar a ferver. Tirar da chama e deixar arrefecer por aproximadamente 10 minutos ou ate ficar com 45C. Peneirar a farinha e a canela para uma tigela grande. Numa outra tigela, coar o leite e polvilhar com o fermento e raspa de limão. Adicionar os ovos ligeiramente batidos, azeite, manteiga derretida açúcar e sal. Lentamente, adicionar a mistura de leite na de farinha e canela até incorporar. Colocar numa superfície enfarinhada e amassar durante 10 minutos, até a massa ficar elástica e suave. Colocar a massa dentro de uma tigela grande untado com azeite e cobrir com um pano e deixar levedar por uma hora. Para fazer as camadas, misturar a manteiga com a canela e açúcar até ficar cremoso. Esvaziar a massa e deixar descansar por 10 minutos. Forrar uma forma de mola de 9 polegadas com papel manteiga e reservar. Dividir a massa em 10 pedaços. Usando um rolo estende-se a massa ao tamanho da forma. Barrar cada camada de massa com uma colher da mistura de açúcar. Repetir com as dez camadas. Cortar uma pequena cruz no centro da massa e meter um ovo cru lavado e untado com azeite no meio do folar. Deixar levedar por mais 30 minutos. Cozer em forno pré-aquecido a 190C (375F) por aproximadamente uma hora ou até o palito sair limpo.
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During Easter Sunday, in small towns and villages throughout the Algarve, people visit family and friends. It is expected that those they visit have Folar or sugar coated almonds to give as a snack. If they visit ten families, then they get to try 10 different, which makes for a very happy and sweet Sunday! In the Algarve the Easter cake is much different from the rest of Portugal. Some regions make sweetbread more like brioche; other regions make it savoury using smoked meats, such as presunto or chouriço. With layers and flavoured with cinnamon is only known to be made in the Algarve, therefore being so popular some souvenir shops sell them all year round. An aunt of mine used to bake several of these Folares and to me she made the best I’ve tried. Being such a great fan of this Easter goody I asked her the ingredients used to make such nice cakes. In her kind fashion, explained, how she used a handful of this, and a pinch of that but without precise measurements. I’ve made many Folares in the past that tasted great but weren’t very appealing, or looked appealing but didn’t taste so good. After many Easters, I’ve completed my recipe, tested time and time again, that works, looks good and tastes even better. It is also tradition to keep some of the cake for May 1st which is the Portuguese equivalent to Labour Day in Canada and go for a pick nick with family to celebrate the day and also eat the remainder of the Folar. I am not sure how this could be possible, because at my house, it would never last that long, as it is delicious fresh on its own or at a few days old with some butter.
For the Folar (Easter Cake)
750g All-purpose Flour, sifted
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp Cinnamon
1 tbsp Lemon Rind
280ml Milk
60g Unsalted Butter, melted
90ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Fennel Seeds
30g fresh yeast or 15g active dry yeast
15g Salt
50g Brown sugar
For the layers
300g Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Cinnamon
300g Unsalted Butter
In a small sauce pan, heat milk with the fennel seed just unit it starts to boil. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes, or until it reaches 45C. Sift flour and cinnamon into a bowl. Strain the milk into a large mixing bowel and sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let stand 5 minutes until it starts to look frothy. Using a microplane, rasp the peel of one lemon into the milk and yeast mixture, add the lightly beaten eggs, olive oil, melted butter and salt. Slowly add the flour and cinnamon mixture to mix until incorporated. Turn onto a floured surface and kneed for 10 minutes, until dough does not stick and becomes smooth. Add flour if too sticky, a little at a time. Place dough in a clean bowel, greased with olive oil and cover with clean tea towel and let rise for one hour. To make the spread for the layers, mix the butter with cinnamon and brown sugar until creamy. Deflate dough and let rest for 10 minutes. Line a 9 inch spring form pan with parchment paper and set aside. Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Using a rolling pin roll out the dough just enough to fit the spring form. Spread 1 table spoon of the brown sugar mixture just as you would for a pizza. Place in spring form and repeat with all the layers, spreading the remaining brown sugar mixture on the top layer. Cut a small cross into the centre of the cake and place a washed raw egg, greased with olive oil into the cross in the middle of the cake. Proof for 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 375F for about one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
For the layers
300g Brown Sugar
2 tbsp Cinnamon
300g Unsalted Butter
In a small sauce pan, heat milk with the fennel seed just unit it starts to boil. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes, or until it reaches 45C. Sift flour and cinnamon into a bowl. Strain the milk into a large mixing bowel and sprinkle the yeast over the milk and let stand 5 minutes until it starts to look frothy. Using a microplane, rasp the peel of one lemon into the milk and yeast mixture, add the lightly beaten eggs, olive oil, melted butter and salt. Slowly add the flour and cinnamon mixture to mix until incorporated. Turn onto a floured surface and kneed for 10 minutes, until dough does not stick and becomes smooth. Add flour if too sticky, a little at a time. Place dough in a clean bowel, greased with olive oil and cover with clean tea towel and let rise for one hour. To make the spread for the layers, mix the butter with cinnamon and brown sugar until creamy. Deflate dough and let rest for 10 minutes. Line a 9 inch spring form pan with parchment paper and set aside. Divide the dough into 10 pieces. Using a rolling pin roll out the dough just enough to fit the spring form. Spread 1 table spoon of the brown sugar mixture just as you would for a pizza. Place in spring form and repeat with all the layers, spreading the remaining brown sugar mixture on the top layer. Cut a small cross into the centre of the cake and place a washed raw egg, greased with olive oil into the cross in the middle of the cake. Proof for 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 375F for about one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
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