Tocino de Cielo is a dessert made from egg yolks and sugar. It translates literally as lard (bacon) from heaven. It originates from Jerez de la Frontera and like many other sweets and cakes is a by-product of the wine-making industry which used huge quantities of egg whites to clarify the wine. What to do with all those yolks?
Tocino is often translated as bacon but for me it is closer to un-rendered, cured lard. It is often pale creamy white, all fat and no flesh, with a brown rind and in this form it most resembles the dessert and hence the name.
The recipe is extremely indulgent using lots of egg yolks and lots of sugar. It is a once a year treat for us. The other problem is what to do with all those leftover whites?
Meringue is the obvious answer, but the thought of more sugar usually means that the egg whites get wasted.
