Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)
This recipe is a combination adaptation of two found online. While intimidating at first, they are not terribly difficult and are unbelievably delicious.
This recipe is a combination adaptation of two found online. While intimidating at first, they are not terribly difficult and are unbelievably delicious.
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- -- topping --
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- -- tart shells --
- 2 sheets pc butter puff pastry defrosted, but quite cold
- -- custard --
- 1/2 small lemon zested, finely grated (approx. 5/8t)
- 1/2 tablespoon icing sugar
- Carbohydrate 9.77137383252568 g
- Cholesterol 578.937552083333 mg
- Fat 17.8832674665196 g
- Fiber 0.0855071886749642 g
- Protein 7.5883346835831 g
- Saturated Fat 7.86909298985061 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (68g)
- Sodium 35.290776929972 mg
- Sugar 9.68586664385071 g
- Trans Fat 0.796298716398228 g
- Calories 229 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups with melted butter.
- Using a biscuit cutter, cut puff pastry into twelve 3" rounds. With your hands, gently stretch the rounds out until they are approximately 4" in diameter and place one round in each muffin cup. Press pastry into bottom and sides of the cups; they should be lined to within approximately 1/4" of the top.
- Whisk together sugar and flour in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in remaining custard ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until bubbles just start to appear on the surface, about 10 minutes. Transfer custard to a bowl and cool, whisking occasionally, until just warm, about 15 minutes.
- Fill pastry cups with custard (about 2 - 3T each) and bake in upper third of oven until pastry is deep golden, about 20 minutes. Custard should be starting to brown and there may be the odd burned bit on the edges.
- Cool tarts slightly (in the muffin tin) on a rack, about 10 minutes. Remove from tin, then sift first icing sugar, then cinnamon, over tarts. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Blistered sugar spots freckle the high-rising custard surface while the butter puff pastry shatters into countless delicate shards beneath the tooth. Achieving this textural contrast requires precision, specifically maintaining an oven temperature of 425 F and ensuring the laminated dough remains cold during shaping to preserve the individual fat layers that generate proper puff. Utilizing a heavy-bottomed saucepan prevents scorching the dairy base while thickening the starch over moderate heat. Allowing the cooked custard to cool until lukewarm prevents the butter in the raw pastry from melting prematurely upon contact. Common failures usually stem from rushing the reduction phase or failing to bake the tarts in the upper third of the oven, which starves the pastry of the intense radiant heat needed to achieve a deep golden exterior.
Pairing rich pastries like these requires calculated contrast to refresh the palate between bites. Strong black coffee, pulled as a traditional espresso or a long-pour Americano without milk or sugar, cuts cleanly through the heavy cream and egg yolk richness. Alternatively, a tart citrus infusion or a glass of chilled Portuguese Madeira wine provides the necessary acidity to balance the dense sweetness. Bitter herbal teas also work surprisingly well when brewed strong.
Serving temperature dictates the dominant flavor profile of the finished tarts. Enjoying them warm emphasizes the softness of the interior custard, whereas letting them cool entirely to room temperature allows the pastry to regain maximum crunch. Dusting the tops with icing sugar and cinnamon just before serving adds an aromatic warmth that defines traditional presentations.
