Pastéis de nata

posted in: Dessert, WINE & DINE | 0

In Luxembourg, you will find these traditional Portuguese custard tarts in almost every bakery. If you live in New Zealand, most people never have heard of this delicacy. The tops may not be as brown as the authentic one but they taste just as good. The tart’s ingredients are very simple: a puff pastry filled with a custard made of cream, egg yolks, sugar, flour and lemon zest. You can sprinkle the pastéis with some sugar or cinnamon.

Ingredients

  • 30 g flour
  • 250 ml milk
  • lemon zest
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 150 g sugar
  • 75 g water
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 pack puff pastry

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 230°C.
  • In a small bowl, whisk the flour and 100 ml milk. 
  • Bring 150 ml milk and lemon zest to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the lemon zest. 
  • Whisk the flour mixture into the hot milk. Stir constantly until mixture thickens. Remove pan from heat and stir in vanilla extract. 
  • Put the sugar and water in a pan. Heat gently to melt the sugar, turn up the heat and boil for 5 minutes. Gradually whisk it into the milk mixture. 
  • Whisk in the yolks and set aside. 
  • Unroll the pastry to remove the plastic lining sheet. Then roll it back up. Cut each roll into 12 discs, then put one disc into each muffin hole. Just make sure your dough is rolled very thin. Press the pastry up the sides with your fingers. 
  • Pour the custard into the pastry cases and bake them for 15 minutes or until the custard tart is golden and crisp.