Broas de Mel

The story

Broas de mel, cookies made of honey, spices, and cornmeal, reflect an older, more rural side of the Portuguese baking tradition, one in which cornmeal—more available and cheaper than wheat flour in many interior regions—was the basis of much everyday and holiday baking before wheat became universally accessible. Honey, in place of sugar, gives the cookies a dense, dark sweetness and a moist texture that actually improves with time, so broas are often made days in advance. The recipe varies by region: some versions add sweet potato or pumpkin for extra moisture, while others insist on the pure combination of cornmeal and honey. Broas de mel belong to a broader group of Portuguese holiday bakes that also includes similar cookies made with sweet potato. For Portuguese families in the diaspora, they are one of the lesser-known but dearly loved family recipes, one that rarely travels beyond the circle of those who grew up with it on the table.