Espécies are one of São Jorge's best-known sweets: a dark filling of sugar, toasted bread and spices, led by cinnamon and fennel seed, wrapped in a thin, crisp, unsweetened pastry. The filling shows through small slits in the pastry, and the traditional shape is a horseshoe, although rings, half-moons and letters are also made.
The name most likely comes from the spices (especiarias) that flavour them. They are made all over the island and can be found all year round in São Jorge's pastry shops, restaurants and supermarkets.
Method
The day before, boil the sugar and water until the syrup reaches the thread stage.
Stir in the grated bread, the spices, the lemon zest and the butter.
Cook over a low heat, stirring all the time, until you have a thick, firm paste.
Leave the filling to cool and rest until the next day.
The next day, dissolve the salt in the lukewarm water. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the melted lard, the olive oil and the salted water.
Mix quickly, then work the dough vigorously on a cold, smooth worktop until elastic.
Cover the dough and let it rest for about 1 hour.
Set the oven to heat to 180 °C and have ready a tray lined with baking paper.
Roll the dough out very thinly and use a pastry wheel to cut strips 4–5 cm wide.
Mark a line down the centre of each strip and make a row of short crossways cuts along one half.
Roll the filling into thin logs with your hands and lay them on the plain half of the strips.
Fold the cut half over the filling, which should peep through the slits, and seal the roll by moistening the pastry edges.
Bend the rolls into horseshoes, rings or half-moons and arrange them on the tray.
Bake for around 20 minutes, until the pastry is dry and crisp. Let them cool before serving.
Tips
- Toast slices of homemade bread in the oven until completely dry and grate them finely; plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs also work.
- Butter your hands lightly so the filling does not stick as you roll it.
- The filling can be made a day or two ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
- If you have filling left over, make another half batch of pastry.
- Store the espécies in a closed tin so they stay crisp.
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