Yemas de Santa Teresa recipe, the typical sweet of Ávila

Yemas de Santa Teresa is the quintessential sweet in the province of Ávila. Its origin is uncertain, but there are several theories, such as the one that claims it comes from the Andalusí period. Others maintain that the Flor de Castilla was the first bakery to sell them as “Yemas de Santa Teresa” in the mid 19th century. The third theory states that its origin comes from the monastic confectionery that was made in the Convent of Santa Teresa in Ávila. On the other hand, it is known that these Yemas were named after Saint Teresa of Jesús.

Yemas de Santa Teresa is probably one of the easiest sweets to prepare; only four ingredients are needed and very little time is required. The result is orange balls of egg yolk and sugar; with a thin layer of icing sugar on the outside and very soft inside. Below, we tell you how to prepare this typical sweet from Ávila, which has spread to all the bakeries in Spain.

Ingredients for 6 Yemas de Santa Teresa:

• 6 egg yolks
• 100 g of sugar
• 70 ml water
• icing sugar

Preparation of the Yemas de Santa Teresa:

1. Put a saucepan with the water and sugar on a low heat to make the syrup for the Yemas de Santa Teresa. Stir constantly, especially in the corners so that the sugar does not stick. The aim is for the syrup to thicken.
2. Pour the yolks into a bowl and break them up with a fork. You do not need to beat them, just break the membrane that covers the yolk. You can put them through a strainer to make sure the membrane is completely broken and get rid of any egg whites that may have been left behind when they were separated.
3. Then, add the yolks to the syrup with the heat at the minimum without stopping stirring. Continue in this way until a thin, thick paste is formed which detaches from the walls. Then, turn off the heat and let it cool down in another container. You can put the paste of the Yemas de Santa Teresa in the fridge to cool and harden faster (about 30 minutes), covered with cling film.
4. Once the yolk cream has cooled down, sprinkle the work surface with icing sugar and put the dough on top. Form small balls with your hands, also impregnated with icing sugar. Place all the Yemas de Santa Teresa in muffin or tartlet moulds and you can then enjoy this traditional sweet.