Portuguese Custard Tarts | Pastéis de Nata
Loved the world over, Portuguese custard tarts are made with a unique spiraled puff pastry that shatters as you bite it. This is sharply contrasted by the silky, custard interior. Learn to make this centuries-old recipe!
Ingredients
Method
Making the Pastry
- Add the flour, salt, and water to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and mix it until it forms a smooth dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15–30 minutes to relax the gluten.
- Heavily flour your work surface—this dough is sticky! Roll the dough into a 16×16 inch (40×40 cm) square. If your measurements aren't perfect and your sides are a bit wonky looking, don't be alarmed. You will correct the imperfect edges at the end of this process. This is not as finicky as French puff pastry (Thank God!).
- Now, spread ⅓ of the softened butter over ⅔ of the dough. You can do this by dotting the butter over the area that you want to cover and then taking an offset spatula to spread it evenly. Be patient with this process. The butter becomes more spreadable as you continue to work it.
- After spreading the butter, fold the unbuttered third over the middle, then the remaining third over the top (like folding a letter).Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll it out again into another 16×16 inch (40×40 cm) square. Repeat the buttering, folding, and turning one more time.
- Roll the dough into an 18x21inch (46×53 cm) rectangle. Trim the edges to neaten it. Spread the last third of butter over the entire surface. Roll it tightly into a log and pinch the seam to seal. Trim the ends and cut the log in half. Wrap both halves in plastic wrap and chill for 1–2 hours. Each log will make 12 pastry shells.
Making the Custard
- Whisk together the smaller measurement of the milk with flour to make a smooth paste. Heat the rest of the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until just bubbling at the edges. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the flour paste until smooth.
- In another pan, heat the sugar, water, and cinnamon stick until boiling. Stir to make sure all of the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat. Remove the cinnamon stick and whisk the sugar syrup into the milk mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract. Set this aside and let it cool to at least 140°F / 60℃.
- Once cool, whisk in the egg yolks one at a time until fully emulsified. Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Shaping the Tarts
- Slice each log of chilled dough into 12 pieces.
- Place each piece cut-side up in a Portuguese tart tin. With a wet thumb, press the dough from the center outward, pushing it up the sides and slightly over the top. Chill the shells while you preheat your oven.
Filling and Baking
- Preheat your oven to 500°F (260°C) with a baking stone or upside-down cast iron skillet inside for 30 minutes before baking.
- Remove the custard and the tart shells from the refrigerator. Whisk the custard and pour it into each tart shell until ¾ of the way full. (The tart tins should be on a baking sheet for easy transfer to the oven.)
- Bake for 10–15 minutes, until tops are blistered and the crust is golden, puffed, and crispy. If your oven struggles to give the tarts the classic blisters on top of the custard, turn on the broiler for the last 1-2 minutes of baking. If you use the broiler, watch carefully! The crust easily burns.
- Let the tarts cool in their tins until just warm, then remove gently. Let them cool to room temperature before serving. For the crispiest shells, these are best served the day they are baked. Enjoy!
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