Description
Portuguese Custard Tarts, also known as Pastéis de Nata, are a traditional Portuguese pastry made with flaky puff pastry and a rich, creamy egg custard filling, baked until caramelized on top.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed if frozen)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or custard tart molds.
- Roll out puff pastry into a log and cut into 12 equal slices. Press each slice into the muffin tin, flattening and shaping into a cup up the sides.
- In a saucepan, whisk together flour and a few tablespoons of milk until smooth. Add the rest of the milk and whisk over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat.
- In another pan, combine sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil without stirring and cook until it reaches 220°F (104°C) on a candy thermometer. Remove cinnamon stick and zest.
- Slowly whisk the sugar syrup into the thickened milk mixture.
- In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, then slowly add to the warm custard mixture along with vanilla extract. Strain the mixture to remove any solids.
- Pour the custard into the prepared pastry shells, filling about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes or until the tops are caramelized and blistered. Let cool slightly before removing from tin.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a dusting of cinnamon if desired.
Notes
- Use a very hot oven to achieve the signature caramelized tops.
- Don’t overfill the tart shells to prevent overflow.
- They are best eaten the day they’re made but can be stored in the fridge and reheated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tart
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 24g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 105mg