By eatmundo · August 4, 2026
🇵🇹AI-generated imageSame ingredients, elsewhere in the world
5 matchesDishes from other countries' kitchens, made from the same core ingredients as Fartes. The percentage is the share of ingredients the two recipes have in common.
Mexican Cinnamon PolvoronesIn Mexico · same ingredients55%
Kouign-amann: The Butteriest Breton CakeIn France · same ingredients50%
Maids of Honour TartsIn the United Kingdom · same ingredients50%
Traditional Portuguese pastries originating from the conventual tradition, featuring a dense, rich yolk-based cream cooked in syrup and dusted with cinnamon.
According to eatmundo's ingredient comparison, the closest dish to Fartes from another cuisine is Mexican Cinnamon Polvorones (Mexico): the two share 55% of their ingredients.
Ingredients
tick what you already have - the rest goes on your shopping listHow to Make It
- 1
Make the dough: rub 100g butter into 250g wheat flour with 2g salt, then add 90ml cold water and knead briefly into a smooth, firm dough. Wrap and rest 30 minutes.
- 2
In a saucepan, combine 300g sugar and 200ml water and boil over medium heat to a syrup at thread stage (ponto de fio, 107°C). Meanwhile whisk the 12 egg yolks until smooth, then temper them by slowly adding a small amount of the hot syrup while whisking constantly.
- 3
Stir 200g almond flour and half the cinnamon powder into the remaining syrup, then pour in the tempered yolks and set over very low heat.
- 4
Stir continuously with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes until the filling becomes a thick paste that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Spread it on a plate and let it cool completely; it firms as it cools.
- 5
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll the rested dough thinly (2 mm) on a floured surface and cut it into 10 cm rounds.
- 6
Place a spoonful of the cooled filling on each round, fold the dough over into a half-moon or roll it into a small cylinder, and press the edges firmly to seal. Set them on a lined baking tray.
- 7
Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry is lightly golden, then let the fartes cool on the tray.
- 8
Dust the cooled fartes with the remaining cinnamon powder before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Fartes?
Fartes is a Portuguese conventual sweet: small pastries with a thin flour-and-butter shell filled with a cinnamon-scented paste of sugar syrup, egg yolks and ground almonds. It is traditionally associated with festive occasions, especially Christmas.
What is the secret to the texture?
The secret is bringing the syrup to thread stage (ponto de fio) and stirring the almond and yolk filling constantly over very low heat until it is a thick, smooth paste that pulls from the pan, so it holds its shape inside the pastry.
Can I replace butter with margarine?
It is not recommended, as butter provides the specific rich, silky mouthfeel that is essential for authentic conventual sweets.
How should they be served?
Serve them at room temperature once fully cooled, when the filling has set and the pastry is crisp.
My mixture curdled, can I save it?
If it barely curdled, whisk it vigorously. To prevent it, add the hot syrup to the yolks very slowly when tempering and keep the heat very low while cooking the filling.
🇵🇹AI-generated image
