Pasteis de Nata (Custard Tarts)
photo by Mikos Teuben
- Ready In:
- 40mins
- Ingredients:
- 9
- Yields:
-
12 tartlets
ingredients
-
Pastry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 10 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
- 5 -7 tablespoons ice water
-
Custard
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 egg yolks
directions
- Make the pastry.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the flour, salt and sugar to combine.
- Add the butter and pulse until the flour resembles coarse, uneven cornmeal, about 10 1-second pulses.
- Drizzle 5 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture.
- Pulse several times to work the water into the flour.
- Add the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue pulsing until the mixture develops small curds.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface, shape it into a disc and cover with plastic wrap.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough to 1/16-inch thickness.
- Cut out 6 (4 1/2-inch) circles.
- (If you don't have a cookie cutter, a wide-mouth jar works well.) Ease the dough circles into a 12-cup (4-ounce capacity) nonstick muffin tin, pressing out any overlapping folds.
- Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Place the tin in the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Remove and trim any overhang with the back of a knife so that the pastry cups are flush with the top of the tins.
- Line dough cups with cupcake papers and fill with dried beans or pastry weights.
- Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8 to 10 minutes to set.
- Make the custard.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup of the cream in a medium bowl.
- Add the remaining cream and sugar, and stir until the mixture is smooth and the sugar dissolves.
- Check for sugar granules with a spoon; none should remain.
- In a small bowl, blend the yolks with a fork until smooth.
- Add the yolks to the cream mixture, stirring gently to combine.
- Ladle the egg mixture into the partially baked pastry cups, filling to 2/3 capacity.
- Bake in at 350°F (180°C) until the edges of the custard are puffed and middle is still jiggly, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- (The custard will continue to cook.) Cool completely in the tin.
- The pastéis are best when eaten the same day.
Reviews
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This is NOT the David Leite recipe but if you don't want to literally make your own puff pastry and use a lot of ingredients, this recipe is for you. I made this after eating the originals in Lisbon and while they are nowhere close to the originals, and why would they be when I don't churn out 10,000 a day, they were excellent never the less. I did add 1 1/2 tsp vanilla and a cinnamon stick to the custard. I also heated the cream to dissolve the sugar. I took off a star because the recipe was missing these ingredients and instructions. The instructions are 100% necessary to achieve good results. With these improvements, I am rating the recipe 5 starts in my own files and will definitely make again as they are super easy.
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Hello from Portugal!!! Its so nice to see some Portuguese receipes being posted!!These custard tarts are just lovely, but even better served warm with cinnamon sprinkled over top, just like the chef below commented. I've already tried out your receipe and it turned out just lovely, absolutly DILICIOUSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!
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Hello from Portugal,,the land and origin of these custard tarts. They are over one hundred years old and are the best kept secret in portugal. The original pasteis de nata are from Belem in Lisbon, all others are a copy which by the way the original pastery is made of phylo. This recipe looks good and l will try it. If anyone has the opertunity to have the original, l and thousands recomend them. Be prepared to wait in line for the hot custards and also to go off your diet because they are unrisitable. By the way, you eat them warm served with cinnamon. Enjoy!!
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Evamyth
Montreal, 0
<p>I live in Montreal, Canada with my husband and two children (boy born in 1998 and girl born 2000). No, we weren't going for a Y2K baby, she was born in August :-) I love to cook but I hate decidng what to make. I'm just starting to plan my meals in advance and am finding it a real challenge. I love the fact that real people review these recipes and add their own hints and tips. <br /> <br />My son has recently (Sept 8, 2003)started the ketogenic diet for his epilepsy so I'm learning how to disguise cream and oil and how to make miniscule portions look bigger. It's an interesting challenge. As of Februaury 27, 2004 there has been no improvement in my son's seizures so we have have decided to stop the diet. We have to stop the diet gradually though so it will be about two months before he can eat regular food again. There is one more medication we can try and after that our last option is a VNS (vagal nerve stimulator). It is similar to a pacemaker but for the vagal nerve in your neck instead of for the heart. Wish us luck! <br />Update Feb 2005- Well, my son had the vns implanted in June 2004 and it hasn't stopped the seizures but it did make them shorter (30-45 seconds instead of 2 to 2 1/2 minutes). His doctors plan to increase the setting until we see more results or the side-effects get too annoying.</p>