an indispensable sweet on the Christmas table

You ants are a typical Portuguese dessert at Christmas, mainly in the regions of Minho and Trás-os-Montes.

It consists of sugar syrup, slices of bread, dried fruit, eggs, port wine and cinnamon. The mix results in yet another finger-licking Christmas candy.

ants

Ingredients

• 150g regional bread
• 250gr of sugar
• 3dl of milk
• 3dl of water
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 glass of port wine
• 4 egg yolks
• 2 whole eggs
• 50gr of raisins
• 50gr of pine nuts
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Lemon peel

preparation method

• Bring a pan with the milk, water, lemon peel, sugar and cinnamon to the boil and boil for 3 minutes.
• Then remove the cinnamon stick and lemon.
• Add the bread broken into pieces, the butter, the port wine and heat until it begins to brown.
• Remove from the heat and add the beaten eggs, raisins and pine nuts.
• Take it back to the fire to thicken a little.
• Then place the candy on a platter.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon to taste.

Minho style ants

Ingredients

• 2.5dl of water
• 2 tablespoons of honey
• 250gr of sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 3 lemon peels tied with a string to cinnamon sticks
• 6 or 7 buns
• 50gr of butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 glass of port wine
• 1 pinch of salt, walnuts, pine nuts and raisins, ground cinnamon to sprinkle qb.

preparation method

• Break the bread into very small pieces.
• Then pour the water with the cinnamon and lemon peel and a pinch of salt into a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil until boiling, about 10 minutes.
• Remove the cinnamon and lemon.
• Add the bread and butter, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve well.
• Let it boil for 5 minutes.
• Then add honey and sugar.
• Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick, letting it boil for another 5 minutes.
• Beat the egg yolks in a bowl, together with the port wine and pour into the antlers.
• Add the walnuts, pine nuts and raisins.
• Stir everything very well and bring to a boil.
• Let it boil for 3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and fill the trays.
• Let cool and sprinkle with cinnamon.