Pasteles De Nata

As we host our first small dinner party in over six months, I try to walk the path we traipsed in Spain and Portugal. Colleen and Keith traveled with us through the two countries, the trip creating precious memories. It is appropriate we start with a raft of tapas and end with a popular Lisbon treat, pasteies or pasteles de nata. Colleen and I devoured them voraciously. These small Portuguese custard tarts are an egg filling in puff pastry, not too sweet, utterly irresistible to dessert lovers. The only evidence we left behind was a smattering of crumbs.

Making them is a lengthy process. A two day affair at best. Your patience will be rewarded, believe me. If patience is not your virtue, I would suggest you sample them at a good Portuguese bakery! 

PASTELES DE NATA

adapted from George Mendes

Makes 24 mini tarts

Pastry

1/2 cup Butter, softened

3/4 cup all purpose Flour

1/3 to 1/2 cup Water

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Filling

1/2 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Water

1 small Cinnamon Stick

1/2 cup Milk

3 tablespoons Milk

1/4 cup all purpose Flour

3 Egg Yolks

Make the pastry at least 4-5 hours prior to baking the tart. It needs to be firm. An overnight rest in the fridge is the best option. 

Whisk butter till smooth. 

Make the dough by mixing flour, water and salt till soft and tacky. Use a stand mixer, food processor or your hands. 

Roll dough into a 10x6 inch rectangle. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest for 15 minutes.

Flour the counter and rolling pin before you roll the dough again. Roll it out into a 15 inch square. Dough will be very thin. 

Spread 1/2 of the butter over the lower half of the dough. 

Use a bench scraper to lift the top half over the lower portion of dough. Pinch the edges to seal them. 

Roll the dough into a 10 inch (or as big as you can roll) square again. Use more flour as needed. Butter might ooze out the sides. 

Spread the remaining butter all over the dough. 

Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a toght log. Wrap in plastic wrap. 

Place log in the fridge for at least 4 hours. 

Make the filling by combining sugar, water and cinnamon stick in saucepan. 

Bring to boil and cook for a minute. Take off the heat and cool.

Heat 1/2 cup milk in an another saucepan till bubbles form around the edges of the saucepan. 

Whisk remaining milk with flour till smooth. 

Whisk flour mixture into hot milk, stirring continuously till thick.

Add sugar syrup to the milk as well. 

Return saucepan to a low flame and cook, stirring constantly till thickened 5-6 minutes. 

Whisk egg yolks into custard one at a time, whisking well after each addition.

Keep custard warm while you make the tart shells.

Heat oven to 425F/220C.

Take log out of the fridge. 

Cut log into 24 slices, 1/2 inch thick. The best way is to cut log in half, then divide the halves equally. 

Use two mini muffin tins. 

Place a cut slice into the muffin tin so you see the spiral horizontally. Use a melon baller to make a hollow in the middle of the slice, pushing the dough up towards the rim of the muffin tin. Repeat the process for all slices. 

Fill 1 heaping tablespoon of filling into each tart shell. 

Place muffin pans on  baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes till tops are golden brown.

Take them out of the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Pop them out of the muffin tins and enjoy them warm. 

Eat them the same day if possible. They taste best the day they are made.

 

 Our guests savor the evening. The company of loved ones is a rarity for observant individuals in the pandemic.....so this is the cherry on top of the sundae. More memories to relish!

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