Llemitas De Crema
"Little Cream Puffs"
From the treasured pages of Cuaderno de Recetas de Molango, Hidalgo
Unknown Author
Llemitas De Crema
"1 libra de harina 4 onzas de manteca un cuartillo de hagua se pone a ervir la manteca con la agua y se le pone la harina para que se cosa luego que este' se pone a enfriar para ponerle 8 llemas y se ornean despues se rellenan con crema"
English Translation
"1 pound of flour, 4 ounces of lard, a quart of water. Boil the lard with the water, then add the flour so that it cooks. Once done, let it cool before adding 8 egg yolks. Bake them. Afterward, fill them with cream."
Note on the Original Text
The recipe uses imprecise measurements by modern standards: a 'libra' is roughly 450 grams, an 'onza' about 28 grams, and a 'cuartillo' around 250 ml. The spelling is phonetic ('ervir' for 'hervir', 'llemas' for 'yemas'), a common trait in rural and early vernacular recipes before standardized Spanish orthography. No temperatures or detailed times are given—cooks relied on experience for consistency and doneness. The instructions are terse but logical, presuming both familiarity with basic techniques and an ability to adjust based on sensory cues—a beautiful glimpse into the improvisational genius of the historical home cook.
Title
Cuaderno de Recetas de Molango, Hidalgo (1895)
You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome
Writer
Unknown
Era
1895
Publisher
Unknown
Background
A charming handwritten notebook from Molango, Hidalgo, Mexico, brimming with about 25 delightful recipes such as marquesotes, pan de maíz, semita de manteca, queso de puerco, and sweet treats like rompope and cajeta de Celaya. This culinary gem also features an old-timey formula for tintura de benjuí, blending homemade flavor with a touch of apothecary magic.
Kindly made available by
University of Texas at San Antonio
This recipe hails from a late 19th or early 20th-century household notebook in Molango, Hidalgo, Mexico, a region blending indigenous Nahua traditions with colonial Spanish culinary influences. Recipes like these were often handwritten by women or cooks in the family and reflect an era before widespread printed cookbooks. The inclusion of items such as marquesotes and rompope, alongside "llemitas de crema," highlights a period when European pastry technique was being adapted with local ingredients and tastes. These manuscript notebooks served as living documents, passed down or exchanged among family and community members. "Llemitas de crema" is emblematic of festive baking, where creams and enriched doughs played a starring role at celebrations and family gatherings.
A large clay or iron pot would have been used to heat the lard and water, with a sturdy wooden spoon for stirring in the flour. The dough would be mixed either in the pot or transferred to a wide, shallow dish for cooling and incorporating the egg yolks by hand or with a whisk. The rounds would be shaped and placed directly on greased hearth stones, clay baking tiles, or tin-lined baking sheets, and baked in a wood-fired oven or the communal bakery’s oven. Sharp knives or wooden spatulas were used to split and fill the cooled pastries with cream.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings
20
We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups wheat flour
- 4 oz lard (or unsalted butter, as a substitute)
- 1 cup water
- 8 egg yolks
- Pastry cream (for filling; made with milk, sugar, egg yolks, flour or cornstarch, and vanilla)
Instructions
- To make "Llemitas de crema" as described in the original manuscript, begin by bringing 4 oz of lard (or unsalted butter as a substitute) together with 1 cup of water to a boil.
- Once the lard is fully melted into the water and comes to a simmer, quickly stir in 3 1/2 cups of wheat flour all at once, cooking and stirring over low heat until it forms a thick, cohesive dough that just pulls away from the sides of the pot.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm.
- Once the mixture has cooled to room temperature, beat in 8 egg yolks, one at a time, until fully incorporated.
- Spoon or pipe small rounds of the mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake in a preheated oven at about 350°F (180°C) until puffed and golden.
- Allow to cool, then fill each with a rich pastry cream.
- Serve as a sweet, delicate treat.
Estimated Calories
120 per serving
Cooking Estimates
This recipe takes about 20 minutes to prepare the dough and filling, and 30 minutes to bake. Each llemmita is about 120 calories if you make 20 pieces from this batch.
As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.
We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.
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