Pastéis de Nata
Pastéis de Nata, also known as Portuguese custard tarts, are a beloved and iconic dessert in Portugal. These delectable pastries consist of a flaky, buttery pastry crust filled with a rich, creamy custard.
Here’s a simplified recipe to make pastéis de nata at home:
**Ingredients:**
For the Pastry:
– 1 sheet of store-bought puff pastry (or you can make your own)
– Butter or cooking spray for greasing the muffin tin
For the Custard Filling:
– 1 L whole milk
– 3/4 cup granulated sugar
– 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
– 2 tablespoons cornstarch
– 6 large egg yolks
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– Zest of half a lemon (optional)
– Cinnamon (optional)
1. Preheat your oven to 475°F (245°C). Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin with butter or cooking spray.
2. Roll out the puff pastry sheet and cut it into 12 equal squares.
3. Place each square of pastry into one of the muffin cups, pressing it down to cover the bottom and sides.
4. In a saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, flour, and cornstarch. Whisk the mixture together until it’s smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to boil.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and vanilla extract until well combined.
6. Gradually whisk the egg yolk mixture into the hot milk mixture. Continue cooking and stirring for another minute or two until the custard is thick and smooth. Remove it from the heat and stir in the lemon zest and cinnamon if desired.
7. Pour the custard mixture evenly into the pastry-lined muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
8. Bake until the pastéis de nata are golden brown and the custard is set.
9. Cool and Serve!
