Pasteis de nata (makes 12)
Theee most divine Portuguese custard tarts - definitely one of my favourites. It looks complicated but it is definitely worth making your own custard
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Ingredients: syrup
1/2 cup (125ml) castor sugar 1/2 cup (125ml) water 1 strip lemon peel (as much from 1 lemon as you can) Ingredients: custard 350ml milk 50g (90ml) flour 1 vanilla pod, cut open (or 1 tsp vanilla essence) 200ml cream 3 extra large egg yolks Ingredients: base 2 Tbsp flour 2 Tbsp icing sugar 1 Tbsp cinnamon 450g puff pastry |
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Method: syurp
Put all ingredients for the syrup in a pot over medium heat and stir until sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 5mins without stirring. Allow to cool
Method: custard
Whisk 125ml of the milk into the flour until smooth
Bring the remaining milk, with the vanilla pod, to the boil
Once boiled, gradually whisk the hot milk into the flour mixture until smooth.
Pour back into the saucepan
Add the syrup to the milk mixture in a thin stream, whisking continuously until smooth
beat in the cream and egg yolks until smooth
Cook over moderate heat while whisking until slightly thickened. Allow to cool for 10mins
Method: base
Mix flour, icing sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle a layer on your work surface
Gently roll out the dough into into a 45cm x 30cm rectangle (18inch x 12inch)
Sprinkle some of the cinnamon mixture on the dough and roll it up lengthwise to forma long sausage
Cut the roll of dough into 12 equal pieces and stand them upright (so you see the spiral)
Method: completing the tartlets:
Roll each spiral flat into a circle just bigger than the cavities of the muffin pan
Spray the muffin pan with non-stick spray and line each cavity with the dough
Strain the vanilla pod and lemon peel from the custard and divide the custard between the 12 pastry cases
Bake at 220 degrees C (425 degrees F) for 15-20mins or until golden brown and risen
Put all ingredients for the syrup in a pot over medium heat and stir until sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil and boil rapidly for 5mins without stirring. Allow to cool
Method: custard
Whisk 125ml of the milk into the flour until smooth
Bring the remaining milk, with the vanilla pod, to the boil
Once boiled, gradually whisk the hot milk into the flour mixture until smooth.
Pour back into the saucepan
Add the syrup to the milk mixture in a thin stream, whisking continuously until smooth
beat in the cream and egg yolks until smooth
Cook over moderate heat while whisking until slightly thickened. Allow to cool for 10mins
Method: base
Mix flour, icing sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle a layer on your work surface
Gently roll out the dough into into a 45cm x 30cm rectangle (18inch x 12inch)
Sprinkle some of the cinnamon mixture on the dough and roll it up lengthwise to forma long sausage
Cut the roll of dough into 12 equal pieces and stand them upright (so you see the spiral)
Method: completing the tartlets:
Roll each spiral flat into a circle just bigger than the cavities of the muffin pan
Spray the muffin pan with non-stick spray and line each cavity with the dough
Strain the vanilla pod and lemon peel from the custard and divide the custard between the 12 pastry cases
Bake at 220 degrees C (425 degrees F) for 15-20mins or until golden brown and risen
tips
* Ovens differ and at such a high temperature you must keep an eye on the tartlets. The pastry must bake through and the custard should turn golden brown
