Classic Pasteis de Nata - Portuguese Egg Tarts
A recent trip to Portugal inspired this pastél de nata recipe. These Portuguese egg tarts are full of cinnamon flavor encapsulated in a butter flakey crust. Give this one a try from scratch!
Disclosure
The equipment and ingredients sections contain affiliate links to products I love to use as well as items that I personally believe make this recipe the best version of itself.
Ingredients
- 1 roll pastry dough or ...
Pastry Dough
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cold water plus 1 tablespoon as needed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 1¼ cups water
- 3 cups whole milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 1 large lemon peel/zest
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 8 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Make Dough
- Take two sheets of wax paper and place butter in between. Roll it to a 6x6 in. square (15x15 cm). Wrap and place in fridge.
- Add flour, salt and water to a large bowl. Mix until you get a shaggy dough then transfer to a flat work surface.
- Knead the dough for 5-8 minutes until you form a smooth ball. Wrap and place in fridge for 15 minutes.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and make a cross with a center large enough for butter slab.
- Add the butter slab to the center then fold the flaps over it.
- Flip upside and place in the fridge to chill for 20 mins
- Remove from the fridge and roll it out to a 6x14 in. rectangle (15x36 cm).
- Make sure to have a long side facing you before you fold. Envision 3 equal sections and fold the left side over the middle then fold the right side over the first fold.Turn the dough quarter turn to the right and the open edge should be facing up.
- Repeat the step above and then cover the dough then chill it for another 20 mins.
- Roll out the dough to a 8x12 in. rectangle (20x30 cm). Pinch a long end to start the rolling process.
- Roll the dough until you reach the other long end.
- Wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Slice evenly sized pieces of the log and place each one into a tart mold
- Press down on the dough with your thumb and shape to the mold.
- Place the prepared molds in the fridge until ready to use.
Make Filling
- Make the liquid sugar. In a pot add sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, and lemon zest.
- Place on medium low heat and stir as it cooks. When all sugar has melted remove from heat, stir in vanilla extract until dissolved, and set aside to cool.
- Make the milk mixture. In a pot, add milk, heavy cream, and cornstarch. Mix until there are no clumps and mixture is smooth.
- Remove the cinnamon sticks and lemon zest from the liquid sugar. Pour the sugar syrup slowly to the pot of milk as you whisk.
- Place the combined mixture on medium low heat and stir as it thickens. Once the liquid coats the back of a spoon, remove from the heat. Let cool for 10 mins.
- Crack and separate the egg yolks in a bowl.
- Add about a ⅓ cup of the mixture to the egg yolks and whisk. Repeat until the egg yolks are warm.
- Add the mixed egg yolks to the rest of the milk sugar in the pot and whisk vigorously to keep the egg from scrambling. Then strain into a container through a sieve.
Bake Tarts
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C ).
- Remove prepared tart molds from the fridge.
- Add some filling (about 50-60 grams if using a scale) to the tarts by carefully pouring into each mold. Leave a centimeter space from the edges.
- Bake for 15-25 mins until tops have scorch marks until the middle is just slightly jiggly.
- Cool on the counter for 10 mins before removing from mold.
- Serve with powdered sugar and cinnamon powder
Nutrition
Calories: 273kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 5gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 63mgPotassium: 108mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 546IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 1mg