Dreams

Dreams, or Sonhos, are fried cakes which resemble small distorted doughnuts but much lighter in texture. There are many variations on the theme all over Portugal. Generally speaking, fried cakes are intended for the Christmas season, but in Madeira sonhos are prepared during the Carnival as well.

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Confectioner’s sugar
Cinnamon

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to form a ball. Take the pan off the heat and place it in the sink half filled with water.

2. After cooling the mixture a bit, beat in the eggs, one by one. Continue beating to aerate the dough. When ready, deep-fry spoonfuls of the dough in hot oil (360°F/180°C) until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels.

3. To serve, sprinkle the sonhos with a mixture of confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon. Serve warm.