Dessert from Brazil: Quindim

What is it?

This is a typical recipe inherited from the Portuguese partly, and then changed by the African slaves in the Salvador of Bahia region, probably. Around the 1600s, the coconuts were so abundant in that region, that many desserts originated then use coconut in different forms, as it was one of the products more popular. The use of many egg yolks is typical of the Portuguese dishes.

Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound sugar
15 egg yolks
½ pound butter
½ pound grounded coconut
1 cup of coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 egg whites

Preparation:

Melt the butter and beat the sugar together with the melted butter, then add one at a time, the egg yolks, beating the mixture all the time. Add the coconut, both the grounded coconut and the coconut water. Beat well. Apart beat until stiff the five egg whites and very gently add them to the previous mixture.

Put this in a buttered baking dish that goes into a bigger baking dish with water. Take it to medium heat oven, until brown on top. A soft crust must be formed. Once the Quindim is done, and almost cool, gently turn it upside down in a serving dish. Put the dish over the baking pan and then turn it upside down, and there you have a lovely presented dessert. Serve it very cold.