Portuguese Custard Tarts (Pastéis de Nata)
Inspired by the Portuguese custard tarts served at 'Comme à Lisbonne' in Paris. This quick and easy recipe uses ready-made puff pastry with a delicious vanilla custard with cinnamon and a hint of lemon.
Equipment
- muffin tins (10-12 cavity)
Ingredients
- 4 egg yolks organic
- 75 g (2½ oz / 6 tbsp) sugar
- 15 g (1 heaped tbsp) cornflour/cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon vanilla powder (or vanilla extract)
- ½ teaspoon Powdered cinnamon (or cinnamon stick) and more to serve
- 300 ml (10 fl oz / 1 ¼ cups) whole milk
- 2 strips lemon zest organic, unwaxed
- 230 g (8oz) puff pastry 1 pack of ready-rolled or a pack of frozen puff, defrosted
- pinch salt fleur de sel or Kosher
Instructions
- Off the heat, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornflour, vanilla and cinnamon powder in a saucepan using a balloon whisk until you have a creamy paste. Gradually add the milk, whisking until mixed well together then add the lemon zest.
- Put the pan on a medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens (but don't boil). Remove pan from the heat. Immediately cover it with cling film to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside to cool then discard the lemon peels.
- Generously oil or butter the muffin moulds and preheat the oven - preferably to the highest setting at 250°C/480°F (230°C fan/mark 9).
- On a lightly floured surface – roll the pastry if needed – using a cookie cutter or glass (about 8cm/ 3 inch max diameter - the same diameter as your muffin cavity), cut out discs and press them into the bottom of each cavity. Using your fingers, press around the sides, pushing the dough up with your fingers, making a very thin dough.
- Spoon in the cooled custard about ¾ to the top then bake for 7-10 minutes until the custard is blistered on the top.
- Leave to cool in the moulds/tins for about 5 minutes then turn them out on to a wire rack.
Notes
Serve cold or ever slightly warm with a dusting of powdered cinnamon.
Vanilla extract: use it quite sparingly depending on the brand you use. I say half a teaspoon but taste the custard first. If it needs more, add more but better to dose carefully. Some brands use much more - see Nielsen Massey's instructions.
Storage and Freezing: The pastry can soften if stored in an airtight container so best to keep under aluminium foil (rather than plastic wrap) in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. As cooked puff pastry does not freeze well, freeze tarts before baking then bake for a little longer from frozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 60mgPotassium: 57mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 128IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
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