Indulge your taste-buds with the Portuguese classic dessert - Pasteis de Nata. Rich and creamy egg custard tarts made with a few simple ingredients and ready in no time, making it perfect for your next breakfast or snack.
To make Pasteis de Nata, you will need a mixing bowl and whisk, tart cases, a roasting pan, and several simple ingredients like eggs, flour, butter, cinnamon and sugar. Preparing the custard is easy but it takes some time as it needs to be chilled before use. Additionally, you may choose to add some spice like freshly ground nutmeg or cloves to give it an extra kick!
Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Grease a tart pan with butter and line it with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients until combined. In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients, including flour and sugar. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Drop spoonfuls of mixture into prepared tart cases and bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned and the center is firm to touch.
Start by making the pastry dough for your Pasteis de Nata. In a medium bowl, whisk together all wet ingredients - egg, butter, milk, and melted butter - until combined. In another bowl, mix together dry ingredients including all-purpose flour and cane sugar. Gradually add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Using a rolling pin or hands, roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface until it is about 1⁄2 inch thick. Cut the dough into circles and press them into tart pans with your fingers.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks until pale and smooth. Gradually add the condensed milk, nutmeg, and lemon zest or vanilla extract to the beaten egg yolks. Stir everything together and set aside. Place a pan filled with water onto your stovetop over low heat. Put the tart pans with your pastry dough into the pan of boiling water for about 10 minutes or until done. After boiling, remove from the heat and carefully spoon the prepared custard filling into each tart pan and return to the heat for an additional 5 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool completely before serving.
After filling the tart pans with the custard mixture, place them into a pre-heated oven and bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. If desired, sprinkle some sugar on top of the tarts before baking. Once baked, remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
