Pastéis de Nata

Name: Pastéis de Nata
Cook time: 65 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 500g All-Butter Puff Pastry; 250ml Whole Milk; 35g Plain Flour; 250g Granulated Sugar; 150ml Water; 6 large Egg Yolks; 1 Cinnamon Stick; 1 strip of Lemon Peel, wide, no white pith; 1 pinch of Salt, fine; Some Ground Cinnamon, to dust; Some Icing Sugar, to dust

Pastéis de Nata are crisp, flaky tartlets filled with a silky, cinnamon-scented egg custard that caramelizes to golden, blistered spots on top. The contrast between the all-butter puff layers and the warm, creamy filling makes them irresistibly indulgent and perfect straight from the oven with a dusting of sugar and spice.

Pastéis de Nata are crisp, flaky tartlets filled with a silky, cinnamon-scented egg custard that caramelizes to golden, blistered ... Show more

Traditional Portuguese Recipe

Health Grade

E · Indulgent

Rating

4.8

Time

1 hr

Price

0,48 €

Calories

381 kcal

vegetarian

kid friendly

portuguese

gourmet

Method

Heat the oven

Set the oven to 250° C and let it come fully up to temperature while you make the custard and pastry.

Cook the milk base

In a saucepan, whisk the Plain Flour into a splash of the Whole Milk until completely smooth, then whisk in the rest of the milk and the Salt (fine). Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping the bottom and corners, for 3 minutes or until the mixture turns thick and glossy enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Boil the syrup

In a second saucepan, combine the Granulated Sugar, Water, Cinnamon Stick, and a wide strip of Lemon Peel with no white pith. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes until the syrup is clear and slightly sticky.

Finish the custard

Slowly whisk the hot syrup into the milk base in a thin stream, then let the mixture cool until it is just warm before whisking in the Egg Yolks one at a time. Strain the custard through a fine sieve into a jug or bowl, discarding the cinnamon stick and lemon peel, so the filling is silky and lump-free.

Shape the pastry

On a lightly floured surface, roll the All-Butter Puff Pastry into a tight log, trim the ends, and cut it into 12 even pieces. Press each piece cut-side down into a cup of a muffin tin, then use your thumbs to push the pastry up the sides so the base stays thin and the edges sit a little higher than the middle.

Bake the tarts

Pour the custard into the pastry shells until they are about three-quarters full, then bake for 12 minutes until the tops are blistered with dark caramel spots and the pastry is deep golden and crisp. Rotate the tin halfway through if your oven has hot spots.

Dust and serve

Let the tarts cool for 5 minutes so they release cleanly, then lift them out and dust with the Ground Cinnamon and Icing Sugar. Serve them warm, when the custard is creamy and the pastry is at its crispiest.