Pastéis de Nata

About This Recipe

Pastéis de nata are perhaps Portugal's greatest contribution to the world of pastry. Created by Catholic monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, Lisbon, around the 18th century, the recipe was sold to a nearby sugar refinery after the monastery closed. The original Pastéis de Belém shop has been using the same secret recipe since 1837, producing thousands of tarts daily.

Ingredients

Serves 12

• 250 gpuff pastry(all-butter, chilled)
• 300 mlwhole milk
• 6egg yolks
• 150 gcaster sugar
• 30 gplain flour
• 1cinnamon stick
• 1 striplemon zest
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 1 tspground cinnamon(for dusting)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make custard

   Heat milk with cinnamon stick and lemon zest until steaming. Whisk sugar, flour, and yolks; pour hot milk over while whisking. Return to heat, stir until thickened. Add vanilla. Cool.

2. 2

   Line tins

   Roll pastry into a tight log, slice into 12 rounds. Press each round into a greased muffin tin, working up the sides.

3. 3

   Fill

   Spoon cooled custard into shells, filling ¾ full.

4. 4

   Bake

   Bake at 250 °C (or maximum oven temp) for 12–15 min until pastry is golden and custard has dark caramelised spots.

5. 5

   Serve

   Cool 5 min, dust with cinnamon and icing sugar. Serve warm.

Variations

• •

  Add orange zest to the custard

• •

  Use shortcrust instead of puff pastry for a denser shell

• •

  Infuse custard with cardamom

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Best eaten the day they are made. Store at room temperature up to 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions