Brazilian Eyes Are Watching You
Anna Maria de Souza is a native of Sao Sebastiao do Paraiso, Brazil. Today she is the founder and President of the Brazilian Carnival Ball, a successful fund raising event in Toronto with a 35-year history and considered the largest Brazilian gala in the world. Anna Maria’s recipe fondly called Mother-in-Law’s-Eyes is a classic dish of Brazil. Tradition says that if a mother prepares this sweet dessert for her daughter’s boyfriend, he will be true to her daughter for all time.
Mother-in-Law’s Eyes (olhos de sogra)
1 cup/250 mL granulated sugar
3 cups/750 mL freshly grated coconut
2 egg yolks
13/4 lbs./800 g large prunes (pits removed)
whole cloves (one for each prune used)
confectioner’s sugar for dredging
Dissolve the granulated sugar in 1/2 cup/125 mL boiling water. Stir in the grated coconut. Beat in the egg yolks. Cook in a pot at medium heat until the mixture thickens. Let stand to cool.
Open up each prune and stuff with some coconut mixture, forming the mixture into a ball. Place a clove at the centre of each prune. Dredge each prune in the confectioner’s sugar.