Toucinho do Ceu

Brazil nut way to heaven, banana and tonka bean chantilly by Chef Teresa Corção, O Navegador (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

The Brazil nut Toucinho do Ceu is a Portuguese recipe. When buying Brazil nuts directly from a small farmer, it is a very clever way of helping to protect and promote the Amazon region and the rainforest. The Brazil nut tree is one of the largest trees in the Amazon rainforest and may live for five hundred years or more. Find out more about the work being done to protect and preserve the bounty of the Amazon: Instituto Maniva | Assoab | Gosto da Amazonia

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 500 g sugar
• 250 kg brazil nuts
• 18 egg yolks
• 100 g butter
• 1 g cinnamon powder

Method: In a pan put the sugar and 1 litre of water. Boil for 10 minutes on medium heat, without stirring to make a syrup.

Process the brazil nuts until they resemble bread crumbs.

Mix the nuts with the syrup and leave to cool.

Add the egg yolks and bring back to the stove to thicken, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and mix in the butter and cinnamon.

Put into a medium cake pan and bake for 10 minutes at 120°C or until golden.

Banana and tonka bean chantilly

Makes 10

Ingredients:

• 300 g banana (very ripe)
• 150 g sugar
• 400 g double cream
• 1 tonka bean

Microwave the banana for 1 minute, or in the oven for 5 minutes.

Mix the pulp with ¼ of the cream and ⅓ of the sugar.

Combine and beat the mixture, adding in the remaining double cream and sugar.

Refrigerate for up to one week.

Teresa Corção (R) with fellow Ecochef Maniva, Ana Pedrosa