These Portuguese custard tarts were surprisingly easy to make, and delicious to eat when sitll warm. Another Simon Rimmer recipe I found online.
Pastéis de nata
(makes 12)
- butter, for greasing
- 3 egg yolks
- 125g/4½ oz caster sugar
- 30g/1oz cornflour
- 1 vanilla pod, split, seeds scraped out
- 175ml/6 oz full-fat milk
- 225ml/8 oz double cream
- 300g/10½ oz ready-rolled puff pastry
- plain flour, for dusting
- icing sugar, for dusting
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-hole muffin tray with butter.
- In a pan, heat the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour over a low to medium heat, whisking continuously until thickened and well combined.
- Add the vanilla seeds, then add the milk and cream in a thin stream, whisking continuously, until the mixture is thick, smooth and well combined.
- Continue to stir the custard mixture until it comes to the boil, then remove from the heat and cover the surface with cling film. (This prevents a skin from forming on the custard.)
- Roll out the puff pastry onto a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour and icing sugar. Cut the pastry in half and place one sheet on top of the other. Roll the pastry sheets up like a Swiss roll and cut the roll into twelve slices.
- Lay each of the rolled pastry slices flat onto the work surface and roll out into 10cm/4in discs using a rolling pin.
- Press a pastry disc into each of the wells of the prepared muffin tray. Divide the cooled custard equally among the pastry cases.
- Transfer the muffin tray to the oven and bake the tarts for 18-20 minutes, or until the custard has set and is pale golden-brown and the pastry is crisp and golden-brown. Allow to cool in the tin.
Family score: 10 out of 10
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