Heavenly creations of habit

I have much for which to thank the nuns of the Catholic Church. After all, one of them taught me how to read.

But I'm almost equally grateful to the various Roman Catholic female religious orders for their role in inventing and perfecting some of the most heavenly pastries on earth.

Collectively called convent sweets because they originated in the convents of Italy, Spain, and particularly Portugal as far back as the 15th century, they ultimately made their way beyond the Iberian peninsula thanks to a global population of nuns that at its height numbered in the thousands, chief among them members of the Franciscan order of Saint Clare, otherwise known in English as the Poor Clares. They weren't. At least not when it came to dessert.

The best of their creations, Portuguese doces conventuais, relied on egg yolks, of which there were plenty available. Egg whites were used variously to clarify wines, as part of the building material for church walls, to starch nuns' habits, and in sugar refining, so the remaining yolks were sent to the convent kitchens. Faced with this profusion of yellow leftovers, the sisters hit upon the idea of combining them with sizeable amounts of sugar and heating them, thereby raising the making of custard to an art form.

The basic version of these delectable concoctions, ovos moles or soft eggs, were simply beaten egg yolks combined with hot syrup to form a thick custard which was used as a filling for cakes and tarts. Variations included huevos reales or royal eggs, where the beaten yolks were baked and then soaked in syrup, and huevos hilados or egg threads, where they were drizzled through a sieve into hot syrup to produce strands of custardy angel hair. These treats were so good that the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama took them on his travels to present as gifts to the dignitaries he encountered.

A plate of unique variations of so-called convent sweets, including the star-shaped queijada da Graciosa, the molasses flavored Dona Amelia, and the custardy queijada de Vila.TOM HARTE

Catholic nuns have been so identified with Portuguese sweets that there's even one classic pastry facetiously named after them, the traditional Portuguese egg pudding barriga de freira, which translates as "nun's tummy." It's a little cake enrobed in custard and topped with an almond that's supposed to look like a belly button.

Probably the most famous of the Portuguese convent sweets are the pasteis de Nata, the sublime custard tarts previously chronicled in this space and available, or so it seems, on every street corner in Lisbon. But if you travel to the Azores, nine volcanic islands 800 miles west of Portugal, as I did recently, you'll discover there are yet more convent sweets to experience. There, in what is referred to as the Hawaii of Europe, nuns have over the years been busy developing their singular takes on custard.

For example, on Sao Miguel Island there are the queijadas de Vila, kind of a custard cake. On Graciosa Island you'll find the star-shaped queijadas da Graciosa. On Terceira Island there are the Dona Amelias, flavored with cinnamon and molasses and named for a Portuguese queen. Each island has its own specialty, typically made from a closely guarded secret recipe.

The best place to sample a variety of them, I resolutely discovered, is at the charming Louvre Michaelense in Ponta Delgada, the capital of the Azores. A former hat shop, it is now a cafe decked out with displays of decorative items, including a collection of vintage radios. If you snag the cozy table in the window, you can spend the day sampling sinfully divine sweets devised by the sisterhood. I guarantee it will be a religious experience.

Queijadas

TOM HARTE ~ photos@semissourian.com

Queijadas appear in many forms in the Azores, but this basic preparation, adapted from Allrecipes.com, can get you started on your own versions. Try for example, using almond or lemon extract in place of vanilla or topping the cakes with coconut, nuts, or fruit.

TOM HARTE ~ photos@semissourian.com

• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whir eggs, sugar, and butter in a blender until smooth. Gradually add flour and milk, blending until smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 325 degrees for 45-55 minutes, until golden. Can be served hot or cold.