These egg custard tarts are a classic Portuguese dessert and one that brings fond memories of our time living in Brazil. I was so happy to find a good recipe in the cookbook My Portugal by George Mendes so that I could make them in my own kitchen and share the recipe with you.
I was sitting with my friends Juliana and Fernando enjoying a bowl of Caldo Verde on one of the rare cool days that occur during the months of June and July. It was the week of the world food festival in Maringa-PR, Brasil, when the town square turns into a food-lovers paradise with booth after booth of edible offerings representing numerous countries around the world.
Unable to tame our curiosity, my husband and I stumbled upon this event the year before and we were thrilled to find so many different cuisines. It was a festival that everyone in the town looked forward to, and if you were an expat, I’d dare to say you longed for it even more. At that point, over 5 years ago, the diversity of the cuisine in the city wasn’t extensive which made access to things like German sausages and kraut a very exciting thing.
It wasn’t until the day that I went with my friends, though, that I explored the Portuguese foods at the festival. It was something they always looked forward to and something I hadn’t really known to look for.
They encouraged me to try the Caldo Verde, a collard green soup with potatoes and sausage. That was love at first bite and I wish I had eaten it many more times while there because I have never been able to recreate anything that matches what I had at that festival. Another dish my friends ordered that day were grilled sardines. I was completely intrigued considering this was the first time I had ever seen sardines outside of a can.
The good stuff did not end there. As we finished our meal, my friends told me that I must try the Portuguese sweets. It was early in the week and the festival had just begun which meant there were still plenty left to choose from.
It turns out that a Portuguese bakery based in Sao Paulo would attend this festival every year and bring with them, Pastéis de Nata, and other sweet treats. It was the only time of year you could get their products in the area and the booth was so popular that they sold out long before the festival ended each year.
Pastéis de Nata are egg custard tarts with a flaky, crispy crust. They are a treat that I would never have picked out for myself, so I’m grateful that I received some encouragement to try them. I was hooked on that rich custard filling and buttery crust after one bite. I bought a small box to take home to my husband and they disappeared quickly. I haven’t had them since.
So when I received a review copy of My Portugal by George Mendes, I found myself flipping straight to the back, the dessert section. I knew they had to be in there and I wasn’t disappointed. After I confirmed that the tarts were included, I went back to marvel at all the stunning food photos in this book that accompany simple, elegant Portuguese recipes. From salted cod to fresh seafood, the cookbook is a beautiful representation of Portuguese cuisine. It includes expected staples, but also creative uses for pork and poultry which are followed up with fresh side dishes.
The recipes are simple and flavorful, but I will say that some of the techniques and ingredients are not for the beginner cook. This is the type of book for the mildly adventurous who wants to explore foods of the world. Needless to say, it is pretty perfect for me.
Now, about these tarts. Simply put, they are outstanding. I took them to a party so I have several witnesses that will attest to that.
They are not without a little hard work, but it is worth it. I was really happy with how they turned out, but I’ll offer a few pointers because I had to modify some things along the way.
You will be rolling the dough very thin. I had a hard time getting it to the dimensions recommended in the instructions, but I got as close as I could (within an inch or so) and it worked fine. You can refrigerate the dough overnight, but I made these in a morning so I let it rest for the minimum of 2 hours and I had no problems.
I used a standard 12-muffin tin for the tarts. I felt like I couldn’t spread the dough in the tins as thinly as it needed to be and got a little stressed that it might be too thin. I decided to make 24 tarts, instead of 48, baking them in two batches with the muffin tin I had.
It was a good decision. My crust may be just a little thicker than the original, but it baked up nice and crispy with plenty of creamy-custard filling inside. So no major changes, but I wanted to let you know what worked for me.
If you are looking for a book that allows for some traveling without leaving home, start with My Portugal. And if you are looking for a dessert that will get you out of a cookie and brownie comfort zone, get started on these tarts!
- unsalted butter ¾ cup (12 ounces/180 g), softened
- all-purpose flour 1¾ cups (225 g),
- plus more for the work surface
- salt ¼ teaspoon
- sugar 1 cup (200 g)
- cinnamon stick 1
- whole milk 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons (330 ml)
- all-purpose fl our ½ cup (75 g)
- egg yolks 6 large
- ground cinnamon for serving
- MAKE THE PASTRY: In a small bowl, whisk the butter until it is the consistency of sour cream.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, salt, and ⅔ cup (165 ml) water. Mix on low speed until the mixture comes together and is tacky, scraping the bowl down occasionally.
- Transfer to a well-floured work surface and form into a 1-inch- (2.5-cm-) thick rectangle. With a well-floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a ½-inch- (12-mm-) thick rectangle that’s 10 inches (25 cm) long. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Remove the plastic wrap and roll the dough into a 15-inch (38-cm) square. Spread one third of the butter on the bottom half of the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) rim. Using a bench scraper, fold the top half of the dough over the butter. Press the edges to seal. Pat the dough with a rolling pin and rotate the dough so that the seam is facing you. Roll into a 15-inch (38-cm) square again. Spread half of the remaining butter on the bottom half of the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) rim. Using a bench scraper, fold the top half of the dough over the butter. Press the edges to seal. Pat the dough with a rolling pin and rotate the dough so that the seam is facing you. Now, roll into an 18-inch (46-cm) square.
- Spread the remaining butter all over the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) rim. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until very fi rm, at least 2 hours and preferably overnight.
- MAKE THE FILLING: Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C), on the convection setting if you have it.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, cinnamon stick, and ⅔ cup (165 ml) water. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Let sit until you’re ready to use it.
- Roll the firm log of pastry on a lightly floured surface until 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Trim the ends, then cut the log into 48 (½-inch/12-mm) slices. Place each slice into the cavity of a mini muffin tin, with the cut side of the spiral facing up. Use your thumb to press the center of the spiral into the bottom of the pan and continue pressing to evenly flatten the dough against the bottom and sides of the cavity, extending about 1⁄16-inch (3 mm) above the rim of the pan. The dough should be about 1⁄16 inch (3 mm) thick, with the bottom a bit thicker than the sides. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate until firm, at least 10 minutes.
- While the dough chills, finish the filling: In a small saucepan, heat 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (255 ml) of the milk over medium-low heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the remaining 5 tablespoons (75 ml) milk. Continue whisking while adding the hot milk in a slow, steady stream. Discard the cinnamon stick from the sugar syrup and whisk the syrup into the milk mixture in a steady stream. Return to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened.
- Add the yolks to the mixture and whisk until well combined. Strain through a fi ne-mesh sieve, then pour the warm filling into the pastry shells until they’re three-quarters full.
- Bake until the shells are dark golden brown and crisp, the custards are set, and the tops are blackened in spots, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve warm.
Discloser: This cookbook was sent to me for review purposes.
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now you have me hungry! there is nothing i love more than sitting in a little cafe in the Algarve (my grandma lives in Tavira) and eating custard tarts. Soul food!
Now that sounds like a wonderful thing to do! How nice!
Did you make 48 of these? I want to eat some 😛
Ha! 24. And I took them to a super bowl party. Long gone. But you are on the list for next time! 🙂
These look amazing! I need to get over that little clinch that I get in my stomach when I see that puff pastry is required. I just need to get in the kitchen and give it a try and hopefully it won’t be as complicated as it sounds! I loved your story, too! I’m always fascinated by your time in Brazil.
Thanks, Tracey! Definitely give puff pastry and try. It’s not that hard at all, just a little time consuming. But not nearly as much as croissants. I made those once and it took days!
I know so very little about Portuguese food, but I’d love to learn more! I’d also love to have these tarts in front of me right now. That custard filling…whoa.
I still have a lot to learn, but after experiencing it in Brazil, I definitely want to go to Portugal. The custard is so good!
I’ve always wanted to make these. They look delicious! And, the world food festival sounds amazing.
Thanks, Lisa! Definitely give them a try. A little time consuming, but not hard at all. The festival was such a great experience!
Hi!
They look great and ur really close to the real ones because you did not add cream to the filling … they are named pasteis de nata (nata=cream) but they have no cream in the filling… and ur pastry looks perfectly crispy.
I am following ur blog now 🙂
Love from Portugal :*
Thanks, Teresa! I’m glad to hear that!