This are one of the greatest Portuguese culinary traditions. With a rich base of eggs and sugar, it was developed in the convents, from the XV century.
There are many theories about their development, with the certainty that sugar from Brazil allowed the palace sweet to evolve and refine this way. The use of gems (as whites were used for ironing nuns clothing) are used to create sweets.
The origin of Doces Conventuais was around the 15th century. It was during this period that sugar entered the gastronomic tradition of the convents and portuguese gastonomy on general. The main sweetener up to this point was honey. With the colonization of Madeira Island, sugar cane began to be cultivated, and sugar began to be available in greater quantities.
The list of these sweets is extensive and covers all regions of Portugal. It should be noted that each particular cake or dessert can be depending on the region and the convent of origin. Some examples: Pastel de Santa Clara, Leite-creme, Papos de Anjo, Barriga-de-Freira, Fios de Ovos, Toucinho do Céu and so on.
In the Lisbon region, there are several worthy representatives of this art that cannot be missed:
