Pasteís de Nata Recipe

Introduction

Pasteís de Nata (cream pastries) are traditional Portuguese egg custard tarts.  Rough puff pastry dough is spread into the cups of a muffin tin, then filled with a roux, simple syrup, and egg yolk mixture.  This recipe makes a dozen pasteís.

Make the Pastry

Ingredients

• 165g flour
• a large pinch of finely-ground salt
• 115g frozen salted butter (one stick)
• 85mL of cold water

Whisk flour and salt together.  Grate 1/3 of the butter into flour, whisk until crumby.  Add water until dough holds together.

Roll dough out in a rectangle shape.  Grate another 1/3 of the butter and spread it over 2/3 of dough.  Fold unbuttered 1/3 of dough down, then fold down again, getting a layer of butter into each fold.  Repeat.  Chill dough in cling wrap in freezer for 15 minutes.

Roll dough out in a rectangle shape.  Fold down by thirds again.  Repeat.  Chill.

Prepare the Pastry

Roll dough out in a long rectangle shape about 12cm wide.  Roll dough up into a cylinder.  Chill.

Lightly grease sides of each muffin tin cup with barest minimum of butter.

Remove dough.  Slice dough into twelve equal discs.  Place one disc into each cup.

Use fingers to gently push dough down into bottom, then to corners, then up sides of each cup.  Be careful not to tear dough.  Refrigerate.  These are your pastry shells.

Preheat oven to 250° C.

Make the Egg Custard

Ingredients

• 4 large egg yolks
• 105mL water
• 210g caster/powdered sugar
• 215mL 1% buttermilk
• 26g flour
• 10cm strip of lemon peel
• 10cm strip of orange peel
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cap-full of vanilla extract

Put water in a small sauce pan on medium-low heat.

Whisk flour into buttermilk in a large sauce pan.  Add peel, cinnamon, and vanilla.  Place over medium heat until it bubbles.  Simmer for 3 minutes or until thick.  Do not overcook.  This is your roux.

Dissolve caster sugar into water.  Bring up to high heat and cook until it's 100° C, or it clings slightly to a spoon.  This is your syrup.

Slowly whisk syrup into roux.  Whisk in egg yolks.  Remove peel, etc.  This is your custard.

Final Steps

Remove pastry shells from refrigerator.  Ensure pastry goes to top of each muffin tin cup.

Carefully pour custard into each pastry shell, leaving about 1cm of pastry shell unfilled at top.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until pastry is flakey and custard is slightly browned on top.

Cool in muffin tin/tart pans for 5 minutes.  Transfer to cooling rack.  Lightly dust with caster sugar and cinnamon.  Cool on rack for at least 30 minutes to let custard set.