Last Christmastime, I was scrolling through one of those ‘Best Holiday Foods from Around the World’ clickbait things, and this pastéis de nata was on it. Hailing from Portugal, these custard tarts were just up my alley and I couldn’t wait to me them.
A year later, here we are.
I don’t know what happened! Looking back to last December, which sitting here now just seems like it was more like 12 years rather than 12 months ago, I imagine my reason for not making them was two-fold. First, we spent Christmas in Chicago last year, as per our every-other-year tradition. Second, with such an abbreviated season (between going to Chicago for Christmas and to Disney for a week after Thanksgiving), there were really just too many other things to bake! I mean, my family is only three tiny people who wish we could actually eat more sugar and baked goods than we can actually tolerate. Therefore, my excitement to make them waned and here we are again at another holiday season.
But since Disney was cancelled and we aren’t going anywhere for Christmas and it seems like I’m pretty much never leaving the house to do something fun again (#dramaqueen), it seemed like the perfect opportunity to bust out the puff pastry from my freezer that I bought last Christmas to make these.
No joke.
But, don’t use year-old puff pastry because it really isn’t good anymore.
BUT, we aren’t here for the puff pastry because this is just store bought freezer stuff. YES, you can make your own. It’s a magical experience but one that for which, while I have time, I don’t have the patience. I leave it to those who do. Freezer is fine. Say it with me, from-scratch snobs (of which I am one).
We are here for the custard, because I love custard. Honestly, one of my top…five foods, in there with french fries, bread pudding, Mom’s veal paprikash and a good burger. I prefer mine frozen (ala ice cream) but will also take it with a bit of brûlée on top.
And really, as Mom and I discussed during our cookie marathon on Sunday, she used to make us custard all the time when we were kids. Baked, not unlike these tarts, but rather in ramekins instead of puff pastry shells.
The custard is actually cooked before it’s baked, using a hot syrup method that I had never tried before. It worked.
These are a bit labor intensive even if you do buy frozen pastry and I did mine over two days by prepping the custard overnight. The result? Totally worth it, and very worthy of a holiday, whatever you celebrate. The food in Portugal is so outstanding I should have known to expect the same from these.
You ready? You can do it.
Adapted from Leite’s Culinaria.
Pastéis de Nata
This pastéis de nata recipe makes almost-authentic Portuguese custard tarts with a creamy egg custard nestled frozen sheets of puff pastry. Adapted from https://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-pasteis-de-nata.html
Ingredients
- For the custard:
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 1 2-3" cinnamon stick
- 3 TB all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk or cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 package of frozen puff pastry
Directions
- Step 1 First, make the custard. Start with making a simple syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the water, sugar and cinnamon until boiling and the sugar has dissolved.
- Step 2 Meanwhile, in another saucepan or in the microwave, scald (bring to just under boiling) the milk. Whisk the hot milk into the flour mixture.
- Step 3 Remove the cinnamon stick and then slowly pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream into the mixture, whisking briskly. Add the vanilla and stir for a minute until very warm but not hot. One by one, whisk in the yolks, being careful not to scramble the eggs. If you have scrambled them a bit, strain the mixture into another bowl and cover with plastic wrap, and set aside. The custard will be thin. Let sit until cool (overnight preferably).
- Step 4 When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 525F, or as high as it will go.
- Step 5 Prepare the pastry. Remove the frozen pastry from the fridge and roll into a tight log. Cut it into 3/4-inch pieces. Allow the dough pieces to soften several minutes until pliable.
- Step 6 Have a small cup of water nearby. Using your fingers, dip the tips of your fingers in the water, and form the dough into a cup large enough to fill the entirety of a muffin cup, with the dough reaching all the way up the sides of the muffin tins. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Step 7 Fill each cup 3/4 full with the custard. Bake about 15 to 17 minutes until the edges of the dough are frilled and golden brown,
- Step 8 Remove from the oven and allow the tarts to cool about 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack and cool until just warm. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, then cinnamon, if you wish, and serve.
