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Pastel de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tart)
Pastel de Nata are the most famous Portuguese dessert. They are deliciously irresistible. The combination of blistered, caramelized custard and flaky golden brown puff pastry is a match made in heaven. Whenever I’m on vacation in Portugal, I know I’m going to come back a few pounds heavier! Not just from all of the delicious seafood dishes, bread, cheese, bowls of rice, and endless glasses of wine, Portugal is also home to favorite treat pastéis de nata (pastel de nata in the singular... bet you can't east just one!).
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 12
Calories: 257 kcal
Course:
Dessert
Cuisine:
Portuguese
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 ⅓ cups white sugar
- ⅓ cup water
- 6 egg yolks (large sized eggs) (whisked, or 7 yolks from medium sized eggs)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon peel only (cut into strips (optional))
- 1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry (about 300g or 10 oz)
- cinnamon for dusting on top (optional)
- icing sugar for dusting on top (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 550°F (290°C). Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin or use 12 traditional pasteis de nata tart pans.
- In a medium sized saucepan, bring to a boil the sugar, water, vanilla extract, lemon peel (optional), and cinnamon stick. Cook until a thermometer reads a temperature of 220°F (100°C). Do not stir the mixture.
- In another medium sized saucepan whisk the milk, flour and salt together until evenly combined. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes or until well combined and the milk is thickened. Take off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, whisk in the egg yolks. Then remove the cinnamon stick from the sugar syrup and add the syrup to the milk. Mix until everything is well combined. Optional: strain through a sieve to remove any lumps.
- Unroll the store bought puff pastry and fold in half into a rectangle. Gently roll the pastry to press the two layers together. From the short end of the rectangle tightly roll the sheet into a log.
- Cut the log into 12 even pieces. Use your hands to flatten each piece and then roll them out as thin as possible into a circle.
- Place a piece of rolled pastry into each of the 12 cups of the muffin tin (or pasteis de nata tart pan). Press the pastry against the edges of the muffin tin to create the tart shells.
- Fill each pastry cup ¾ of the way full with the custard.
- Bake the tarts until the custard starts to caramelize and blister and the pastry turns golden brown, approximately 10-12 minutes.
- Serve warm, with powdered sugar and ground cinnamon (both optional, but delicious). Enjoy!
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
257kcal
(13%)
Carbohydrates
36g
(12%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
11g
(17%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
6g
Cholesterol
100mg
(33%)
Sodium
115mg
(5%)
Potassium
62mg
(2%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
24g
(48%)
Vitamin A
172IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
46mg
(5%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 257
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 257kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 36g | 12% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 11g | 17% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Cholesterol | 100mg | 33% |
| Sodium | 115mg | 5% |
| Potassium | 62mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 24g | 48% |
| Vitamin A | 172IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 46mg | 5% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.