Azoresgal~Life on an Island

 Filhós are a traditional Azorean/Portuguese dessert, a yeast dough that is deep fried and coated with sugar....sooo delicious! They are crunchy and sweet on the outside, and soft and warm in the inside. It is like biting into a sugary cloud! There are many versions and  recipes for Filhós, even the name changes, on the island of S.Miguel they are called Malasadas! A few years ago, I asked my Tia (aunt) Eva if she would share her recipe with me. She did, and they are perfect, I make them every year for Carnaval/Mardi Gras, it is one of my favorite family recipes. 1 kilo all purpose flour 4 tablespoons sugar salt to taste ( 1/2teaspoon) 1 packet of instant yeast (11g) 2 tablespoon melted butter 6 eggs, beaten 2 cups very warm milk oil for frying small dish with oil for stretching dough sugar for coating -In a large bowl, mix everything together, YES, mix everything together, use a wooden spoon, or your hands (use a stand mixer if you wish)...

It's Carnaval time, here on the island, and that means four fun-filled days of eating ,drinking and living it up before, Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. There are several, traditional desserts made at this time of the year, all of which, are very rich,in eggs and sugar. One of these desserts, is the "Filhós do Forno", a pastry baked in the oven, and then filled with a rich lemony pastry filling. I have for some reason avoided making these, because I had convinced myself they where difficult to make. This year I decided to give them a try....I was pleasantly surprised, when I realized, they are in fact like cream puffs. The dough is made in the exact same manner, the only thing that changes, is they are not baked free form, but instead in little muffin tins. These were wonderful, I only regret not taking, the usually step by step photos, but you see, I really was trying them for the first time, and was convinced they would "flop". My family loved them, and I ha...