Rice Pastries from Graciosa Island

Rice Pastries are a traditional sweet from Graciosa Island, part of the Central group of the Azores archipelago, and they stand out for their delicacy and irresistible flavor.

The great secret of this delight is its filling, prepared the day before making the pastries, which contains almonds and is shaped like a half-moon.

During the Christmas season, it is quite common to find Rice Pastries on the tables of many Azorean families. Moreover, gastronomic tourism on Graciosa Island has grown significantly in recent years, attracting visitors from various countries around the world. This is very important for the island’s economy and visibility, as many traditional regional sweets had disappeared, making this a great moment to promote Azorean confectionery.

In the case of Rice Pastries, they have always been a staple at social gatherings, such as weddings, baptisms, and Holy Spirit celebrations. It is also worth mentioning that Graciosa is part of UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves, which guarantees the quality of its products.

Currently, these delicious pastries can be easily found in general commerce. The average price of a box of 6 units is €7.44, according to this online store. Definitely worth trying!

So, be sure to try the traditional Rice Pastries during your visit to Graciosa Island, a true sweet treat from the Azores.

How to Make Graciosa’s Rice Pastries

To make the traditional Rice Pastries from Graciosa, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for the dough:

• 1 cup of flour;
• 1 teaspoon of butter;
• 1 teaspoon of sugar;
• 2 egg yolks;
• powdered sugar for dusting the pastries;
• water, as needed.

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 cup of rice;
• 1 pinch of salt;
• 500g of sugar;
• 60g of almonds;
• 8 egg yolks;
• water, as needed.

Preparation

With the ingredients ready, let’s get to work!

Filling

Let’s start with the filling, which is made the day before!

Place the rice in boiling water with a little salt and cook it thoroughly. Then, drain the rice and mash it into a purée. Bring the sugar to a boil with 300 ml of water until it reaches the “pearl stage,” when the syrup thickens and runs in a stream, creating a suspended drop at the end, similar to a pearl.

Now, let the syrup cool a little and mix it with the rice purée, bringing it back to the heat until it thickens. Once thickened, remove it from the heat and add the almonds and egg yolks, returning it to the stove to cook the yolks. Once cooked, let it rest and wait until the next day to make the dough.

Dough

To begin making the dough, sift the flour and make a well in the center, adding the butter, sugar, and egg yolks. Then, mix everything together and knead with a little water. Once the dough is ready, cover it with a cloth and let it rest. After a few minutes, roll out the dough so that it is very thin, fill the pastries, and cut them into a half-moon shape.

Finally, place the pastries on a greased baking tray, dust with powdered sugar, and bake until they are cooked but not browned. Once baked, carefully remove the pastries from the tray.

And that’s it! Now you can enjoy the famous Rice Pastries from Graciosa, a perfect treat for Christmas!

Source for photo 02