Brazilian Quindim

Quindim is a delicious and very simple-to-prepare typical Brazilian dessert. Its texture is soft and its main characteristic is the rich coconut taste with a delicious caramelized topping. Here’s how to prepare it.

Ingredients

• 12 egg yolks
• 250 g of sugar
• 50 g of butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)
• 100 g of shredded coconut
• Butter and sugar (for dusting the mold)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C and prepare the individual Quindim molds by brushing them with butter and sprinkling them with sugar. If you don’t have individual molds, you can use a larger mold.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until you obtain a light and frothy mixture.
3. Add the melted butter and continue beating until the butter is well incorporated.
4. Add the vanilla extract and shredded coconut, stirring until uniform.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared molds, filling them to the brim.
6. Place the molds in a larger baking dish and fill the dish with boiling water to create a bain-marie. The water should reach halfway up the molds.
7. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the dessert turns golden and the surface appears slightly caramelized.
8. Let the Quindim cool in the mold for at least 4 hours, then run a knife blade around the edges to facilitate removal.
9. Invert the mold onto a plate to serve; they should come out easily if the mold was well prepared.
10. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Trivia

Quindim has roots in Portuguese cuisine but was adapted with local ingredients in Brazil, such as coconut. Its name derives from the term “kinkim”, which in an African language means “delicate” or “pleasant”. In addition to being delicious, this dessert is also an example of the fusion of cultures that characterizes Brazilian cuisine.

Finally, to add an Italian touch, you could try adding a bit of orange liqueur to further flavor the dessert, perhaps replacing part of the melted butter with limoncello to accentuate its aromatic profile. Citrus fruits pair very well with coconut and the sweetness of the egg yolks.