Fogaça de Alcochete

This is a Portuguese cake typical from the region of Alcochete.
The town itself deserves a visit to try one of its marvelous restaurants, after a promenade by the Tagus river where you can see typical fishing boats.
I invite you to eat a Fogaça at any coffee shop (Snack Bar) that you find at practically every main street.

This cake legend has more than 600 years, and it states that during a storm the Tagus fishermen prayed to Virgin Mary so fiercely that She appeared and the boat and its crew could return safely to shore. 

Since then a procession is made every year to Atalaia's hill where today there's a church. To commemorate the people, at the time already with hand for the confectionery, made this cake to honor and remember the event.

Recipe

Wheat Flour 500 g
Yellow/Brown Sugar 350 g
Butter 100 g
Powdered Cinnamon (1 or 2 Soup spoons, up to your taste)
2 Lemon yellow skin (not the white part!), shredded to get small flakes
1 egg (beat the white and yolk together)
Naughty ingredient 100ml: Almond Liquor, Port wine, or other sweet-strong liquor. Alternatively use milk (or water as the original recipe recommends) ;)

1. Mix very well the solids (Flour, Sugar, Cinnamon, and Lemon) in a bowl
2. Melt the butter (I do it in the microwave oven), then add the Naughty Ingredient. Pour it on the bowl with the previous ingredients
3. Mix well until homogeneous piece of dough. It's good when you can touch it and it doesn't get stuck to your hand
4. Warm the oven to 180ºC. Prepare oven plate with a grease (butter, oil) and cover it with thin layer of Flour
5. Separate in rough balls of 250 g, flatten in the plate and "paint" them with the beaten egg
6. Cook the cakes for 10-15 min. After this point stick a something sharp in the cakes (like a toothpick) each few min. When the toothpick comes out almost dry take them out from the oven . 
7. If all goes well some cracks should appear on the Fogaça's surface. The overall idea is that the cake crust (surface) cooks more than the inner part. Preferably the cake's core will be barely cooked (almost raw).
   Cool the cakes with outdoor fresh air if possible - this helps stopping the inside cooking even outside the oven.

Taste it with some sweet wine, milk with chocolate, or whatever you like.

Share it with people you love ;)