Recipe: bolinho de chuva (rain cake)

In the previous texts, I told the story of the bolinho de chuva. How it was born in colonial kitchens, how it crossed the Atlantic and met the beignets of New Orleans and the calas that bought freedom.

Now I will teach you how to make it in the most traditional way I know.

Bolinho de chuva

Ingredientes:

Utensils: bowl, spoon, slotted spoon, thick-bottomed pan, absorbent paper.

Method

1. Mix the base ingredients

In a bowl, crack the eggs and add the sugar. Mix.

Add the milk and stir slowly. The batter will become creamy.

2. Incorporate the flour

Add the flour gradually, sifting it in.

Stir. Finally, add the baking powder.

3. Heat the oil

Place the oil in the pan. It needs to be very hot, but not smoking (ideal temperature: 180°C / 350°F, when a small piece of batter dropped in bubbles and rises).

4. Shape and fry with the right spoon

Use two tablespoons: one to scoop the batter, the other to push the batter to drop into the oil.

The little cakes will brown and grow. Turn them carefully. When they are evenly golden, remove with a slotted spoon and place on absorbent paper.

5. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon

Mix the sugar with the cinnamon in a separate bowl. Coat each little cake while still hot—the heat will make the sugar stick and form a crunchy shell.

6. Serve and, if possible, share the little cakes with those you love.

When you prepare this recipe, you are repeating an ancestral gesture.