Portuguese Scrumptious Heavenly Cream

1. Separate the eggs – place yolks in one bowl and whites in another. Lightly whisk the yolks with a fork.
2. In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup (4 fl oz) water, 2/3 cup sugar, the lemon peel, and the cinnamon stick. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let it simmer for 5 minutes.
3. After 5 minutes, remove the lemon peel and cinnamon stick.
4. Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool slightly.
5. Slowly mix the warm syrup into the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return the mixture to medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens.
6. Important: Remove from heat just before it starts boiling to prevent the eggs from curdling.
7. Let the egg custard cool completely.
8. Whip the heavy cream until thick. While whipping, gradually add 1/3 cup sugar and beat until it forms whipped cream.
9. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar while whipping to create a firm meringue.
10. Gently fold the meringue into the whipped cream until smooth.
11. In serving glasses or bowls, layer crushed Maria biscuits, whipped cream mixture, and egg custard, smoothing each layer.
12. Finish with a final layer of egg custard. Sprinkle with toasted almonds or extra crushed biscuits.
13. Chill in the refrigerator until cold (at least 1 hour or longer).

Recipe & Photo Credit: Pagina Receitas