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READY IN 9+ hrs

Espiros Dois (II)

Read Reviews (8)

"This is a family recipe from my VaVoa (Portuguese grandmother). Our family always decorated them with the little silver BB candies. Save your egg yolks for the Arroz Doce! Espiros means 'sighs' in Portuguese." — Scotty

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Sugar and Sweeteners

Original recipe makes 24 servings Change Servings

3 egg whites
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large glass bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar until firm peaks form. Fold in lemon zest, salt, cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla. Spoon in mounded tablespoonfuls onto the cookie sheet.
Place cookie sheet into oven and reduce temperature to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Cook 1 hour. Turn off oven and allow to dry 8 hours, or overnight.

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PREP 15 mins
COOK 1 hr
READY IN 9 hrs 15 mins

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Reviews More Reviews

Most Helpful Positive Review

Nov 20, 2005

I love suspiros! sweet and light. I suggest dipping in quince ou starberry jelly. By the was, suspiros is the right name of this little marvel. espiros are sneezes!

—sccf

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Jun 09, 2008

These are quite refreshing! Of course, I never have vinegar on-hand so I substituted 2 tsp of lemon juice for the vinegar. Makes for a nice chewy, lemony cookie. They're also quite pretty!

—Alice

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8 Ratings

Apr 27, 2005

Scotty, I loved you recipe. Being Brazilian (portuguese speeking), I ask you to please correct 2 words: grandmother is "Vovo´" and sighs is "Suspiros".

—Ana from Brasil

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Nov 16, 2005

Good stuff Scotty! I'm not Portuguese, but I grew up in New Bedford eating lots of Portuguese cuisine. This reminds me of holidays over my friends house. I live in Vegas now, but my buddy who's family owns the Salchicaria in New Bedford send me boxes of great Portuguese food to enjoy out here.

—rob

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Mar 16, 2009

Thanks for the recipe Scotty. My family is from Portugal and this is my mom's favorite cookie. I didn't give a full five stars because mine didn't look like the ones I see in the bakery...but I have to say they're still delicious! I think my egg white amount might have been off since the eggs were different sizes, but I'm definitly going to try to make them again. Thank you.

—Gida

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Apr 29, 2009

I don't know if mine were what they are supposed to be, I followed the directions exactly, but I didn't care for them. Maybe I'll try some other time and see if I get different results.

—quante318

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Dec 28, 2010

I made these for a very good friend who is Portuguese. They turned out quite good but even after making 2 batches they were chewy on the bottom and hollow. I guess they aren't supposed to be that way? They still got gobbed up on Christmas though!

—cjmoelady

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Aug 31, 2011

Thank you for the recipe very much! I just wanted to also stick up for you. Vovo also means grandma Espiros also mean meringue which anyone could sigh over. Brazillian portuguese is not the same as the Azores, Central CA or Portugal.

—Linda Correia

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Nutrition

Calories
27 kcal
1%

Carbohydrates
6.4 g
2%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
0 g
< 1%

Fiber
0 g
< 1%

Protein
0.5 g
< 1%

Sodium
23 mg
< 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Espiros Dois (II)

Serving Size: 1/24 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 24
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 27
Calories from Fat: < 1

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g < 1 %
Saturated Fat 0g < 1 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 23mg < 1 %
** Potassium 7mg < 1 %
Total Carbohydrates 6.4g 2 %
Dietary Fiber 0g < 1 %
Protein 0.5g < 1 %
Sugars 6.3g
Vitamin A < 1 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium < 1 %
Iron < 1 %
** Thiamin < 1 %
** Niacin < 1 %
** Vitamin B6 < 1 %
** Magnesium < 1 %
** Folate < 1 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.