egg tart

Try this Pastel de Nata or Portuguese Egg Tarts recipe. Taste just like the ones from Macao, light and smooth egg custard with crisp flaky puff pastry.

Pastel de Nata or Portuguese Egg Tarts

heavy cream ((at least 30% fat))

sugar

cornstarch

200 ml fresh full-fat milk

vanilla extract

puff pastry

butter (- for greasing the forms)

Form the dough into pastry shells as I mentioned in my post above. Freeze them for some minutes while preparing the custard.

In a bowl, whisk together the cream, sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch and milk until well combined and all lumps age gone.

Using a double boiler, cook the egg mixture over medium-low heat while stirring continuously until it reaches the correct thickness, like that of a crepe batter. Remove from heat and place pot in a cold water bath to stop it from cooking further.

Add the vanilla extract and stir until well mixed. Let it cool down to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 250°C.

Take the puff pastry shells from the fridge and fill them with the egg mixture leaving about 5-7mm of the top uncovered.

Baked them at 250°C for 5 minutes or until the pastry starts to puff. Lower the temperature to 200°C and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the top of the custard gets the burnt spots and the bubbling starts to subside. Rotate your tray several times throughout baking time to get the crust brown evenly.

Remove from oven and place on the cooling rack. Portuguese Egg tarts are best eaten while still warm.

Little bites of heaven, these take a while to make but well worth the effort.&nbsp; Transport yourself to Portugal&nbsp; in one bite!

Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

all-purpose flour

sea salt

water

227 g / 8 0z unsalted butter (room temperature, stirred until smooth)

milk divided

cinnamon

egg yolks whisked

Cinnamon optional

To make the dough, place the flour, salt, and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a&nbsp; dough hook. Mix for about 30 seconds until soft dough forms that cleans the side of the bowl.

Place the dough on a generously floured work surface. Pat the dough into a 6-inch square using a pastry scraper. Sprinkle with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Roll the dough into an 18-inch square. Use the scraper to lift the dough and add flour underneath to avoid the dough sticking.

Brush excess flour off the top of the dough, trim any uneven edges with a pastry cutter, and using a small offset spatula dot and then spread the left two-thirds of the dough with a little less than one-third of the butter to within 1 inch of the edge.

Neatly fold over the unbuttered right third of the dough using the pastry scraper to loosen it if it sticks, brush off any excess flour, then fold over the left third. Starting from the top, pat down the packet with your hand to release air bubbles, then pinch the edges closed. Brush off any excess flour.

Turn the dough packet 90 degrees to the left so the fold is facing you. Lift the packet and flour the work surface. Once again roll out to an 18-inch square, then dot and spread the left two-thirds of the dough with one-third of the butter, and fold the dough as in steps 4 and 5.

For the last rolling, turn the packet 90 degrees to the left and roll out the dough to an 18-by-21-inch rectangle, with the shorter side facing you. Spread the remaining butter over the entire surface.

Using the spatula as an aid, lift the edge closest to you and roll the dough away from you into a tight log, brushing the excess flour from the underside as you go. Trim the ends and cut the log in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours or preferably overnight.

Now make the custard. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and 1/4 cup of the milk until smooth. Set aside.

Bring the sugar, cinnamon, and water to a boil in a small saucepan and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 220°F.&nbsp; Do not stir.

Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, scald the remaining 1 cup milk. Whisk the hot milk into the flour mixture.

Remove the cinnamon stick then pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream into the hot milk-and-flour mixture, whisking briskly. Add the vanilla and stir for a minute until very warm but not hot. Whisk in the yolks, strain the mixture through a sieve into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.

Assemble and bake the pastries

Heat the oven to 550°F for at least one hour.&nbsp; Remove the pastry from the refrigerator and roll it gently back and forth on lightly floured work surface until it’s about an inch in diameter and 15 inches long. Cut it into 1.25-inch pieces. Place the dough pieces cut-side down into each of the the 12 cups of the 12-cup muffin pan. Let the dough pieces soften several minutes until they become soft and pliable.

Dip your thumbs into the water, then press straight down into the middle of the dough piece. Flatten it against the bottom of the cup to a thickness of about 1/8 inch, then smooth the dough up the sides and create a raised lip about 1/8 inch above the pan. The pastry sides should be thinner than the bottom.

Fill each cup 3/4 full with the slightly warm custard. Bake the tarts until the edges of the dough are brown, about 10-12 minutes.&nbsp; If the tarts are not browning as much as you would like place them under a broiler for just a brief minute.

Remove from the oven and allow the tarts to cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack and cool until just warm. Repeat the steps with the remaining dough and custard mix.

You can sprinkle the tarts generously with powdered sugar, then cinnamon before serving but it is optional.

Instructions

Pastel de nata (or Portuguese egg tart) is a 19th century small tart with a crispy puff pastry crust and a custardy pastry cream filling, presenting caramelized spots on top. This is the shortcut or easy dessert recipe that cuts the prep time quite a bit yet it tastes like the traditional treat.

Pastel de Nata (Portuguese Egg Tart)

eggs

white granulated sugar

tsp pure vanilla extract

whole milk (about 75 ml)

heavy whipping cream (150 ml)

puff pastry (14 oz each (Please see NOTE))

To make these Portuguese tarts, prepare the custard. Whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks together in a medium bowl until homogeneous. Then, add sugar, milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, whisking the mixture until homogeneous.

Cover the bowl with a cling film or plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour or until the sugar has dissolved.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 480 degrees F (250 degrees C) and roll out the thawed puff pastry over a floured surface. Sprinkle just a little bit of flour over and spread. This will prevent the dough to stick on the surface and in your hands.

Then, roll up the short side of the dough tightly into a log. Cut off the edges and slice the dough into 12 even pieces. It is key the dough is still chilled when you are molding it into the tart pans. If needed, wrap some pieces and chill until needed.

Press each piece of dough into a greased small tart mold (3-inch or 7.5 cm diameter) until forming a crust that is thin and about ½-inch (1 cm) higher than the rim of the pan. When baking, the crust will shrink!    If needed, wet your hands with water in order to mold the dough. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent puff up too much and spill the filling. Alternatively, you can use a standard-size muffin tin instead of individual tart pans. But be aware the dough will shrink more and will be thinner on the edges.

Cover the tart pans with foil and chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Then, gently pour in the custard filling (70% full) and bake at the middle rack for 15-25 minutes or until the dough is cooked through and golden brown and the custard is set and have burnt (caramelized) spots on top.

Let Portuguese egg tarts cool for 5 minutes, gently remove them from their tart tin, and place on a rack to cool more. You can serve them warm or at room temp with a cup of coffee. If you prefer, sift powdered sugar and ground cinnamon on top.

Love your recipe. Try it and it taste sooo good. And it sooo easy too. Thank you for the recipe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdvaR_8chLs

Pastel de Nata -- Portuguese Egg Tart (Shortcut or Easy Recipe)
https://www.easyanddelish.com/portuguese-custard-tarts/
Pastel de Nata (also known as Portuguese Egg Tart or Portuguese custard tarts) is a delicious custard tart with a crispy puff pastry crust and a custardy pastry cream filling. This shortcut or easy dessert recipe cuts down on the prep time quite a bit, yet tastes like the traditional treat. 

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Also try:
Classic Lemon Chess Pie: https://youtu.be/E7xcWRBc50g
Best Chocolate Chess Pie Recipe: https://youtu.be/vE5e5fZSKE8
Brazilian Carrot Cake: https://youtu.be/3fO88QrJtZI
Chocolate Flan (Brigadeirao): https://youtu.be/2P2Q3q4-5u4
Brazilian Spice Cake (Pão de mel): https://youtu.be/65z3rq-PNfY
Brigadeiros: https://youtu.be/r9P4F8rzkts


Egg Tart Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 large whole eggs
3 egg yolks
½ cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole milk (about 75 ml)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (150 ml)
2 14-oz packages puff pastry (14 oz each)

Instructions:
1. To make these Portuguese tarts, prepare the custard. Whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks together in a medium bowl until homogeneous. Then, add sugar, milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract, whisking the mixture until homogeneous.
2. Cover the bowl with a cling film or plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour or until the sugar has dissolved.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 480 degrees F (250 degrees C) and roll out the thawed puff pastry over a floured surface. Sprinkle just a little bit of flour over and spread. This will prevent the dough to stick on the surface and in your hands.
4. Then, roll up the short side of the dough tightly into a log. Cut off the edges and slice the dough into 12 even pieces. It is key the dough is still chilled when you are molding it into the tart pans. If needed, wrap some pieces and chill until needed.
5. Press each piece of dough into a greased small tart mold (3-inch or 7.5 cm diameter) until forming a crust that is thin and about ½-inch (1 cm) higher than the rim of the pan. When baking, the crust will shrink!    If needed, wet your hands with water in order to mold the dough. Prick the bottom and sides with a fork to prevent puff up too much and spill the filling. Alternatively, you can use a standard-size muffin tin instead of individual tart pans. But be aware the dough will shrink more and will be thinner on the edges.
6. Cover the tart pans with foil and chill in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Then, gently pour in the custard filling (70% full) and bake at the middle rack for 15-25 minutes or until the dough is cooked through and golden brown and the custard is set and have burnt (caramelized) spots on top.
pastry cream poured into tart crusts
7. Let Portuguese egg tarts cool for 5 minutes, gently remove them from their tart tin, and place on a rack to cool more. You can serve them warm or at room temp with a cup of coffee. If you prefer, sift powdered sugar and ground cinnamon on top.


Stock media provided by [TarisStudios]/ Pond5

Pastel de Nata -- Portuguese Egg Tart (Shortcut or Easy Recipe)

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