Pasteis de Nata

One of our family’s favorite pastry on any day, but especially on holidays because let’s face it, things always taste better around the holidays, is Pasteis de Natas or Portuguese Custard Tarts. I remember eating these tasty little custard delights as a kid and only learned how to bake them for the first time when I visited my mom in Portugal. Go ahead and make a batch the next time you are having people over. It is very easy to make and trust me, you’ll love ’em!

Preparation
This recipe makes approximately 15-18 pasteis de natas. Make sure to have one or two cupcake pans. Butter the inside of each cup.

Bakeware
A lot of people use cupcake or muffin pans but I think the best way to make these tasty tarts is to actually use egg tart cups. I purchased two dozen egg tart bakeware pans from Amazon. These are perfect for making Portuguese Custard Tarts sometime also referred to as Portuguese Egg Tarts.

12 – 24 Egg Tart Cups

 

Ingredients
1 pot to mix and cook custard filling
1 box of Peppermint Farms Filo Dough (sheets NOT cups)

a little flour to roll the dough
6 extra large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint of heavy cream or half ‘n half
1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch

Optional ingredients
lemon peel and/or cinnamon stick

Cooking Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Do this early to get the oven nice and hot.

Making the Custard
2. Mix the following in a sauce pot:
   – cornstarch and 1/4 cup of the cream over a low heat until creamy
   – add rest of sugar and cream into the mix and continue mixing
   – in a separate bowl, whisk 6 extra large egg yolks and then add to the cream mixture
   – (optional) grate a lemon peel and add to the cream mixture (which is the way my family likes it)
   – stir gently and often until it comes to a boil

3. Let cool while you prepare the filo dough. The custard should be creamy and harden as it cools

4. Roll out the filo dough very thin and cut them into cupcake size pieces to line the cupcake pan. Use a cookie cutter coffee cup or something similar
5. Line each cup with the filo dough pieces
6. To prevent the filo dough from puffing up too much, use a fork to poke holes in the dough on the bottom of the tart cups

7. Pour the batter into each cup

8. Put the cupcake pan/s into it in the oven
9. It won’t take long to bake, approximately 25 – 35 minutes at the most. Watch the pastries closely. Once they start browning on top and edges, then they are done. You can turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown the top of the pastries if desired.
10. Remove from oven and let cool
11. Make yourself a cup of coffee and enjoy!