History:
Pastéis de nata tarts are pastries inspired by an original recipe called Pastéis de Belém, which were created before the 18th century by Catholic monks at the Hieronymites Monastery (Portuguese: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) in the civil parish of Saint Mary of Bethlehem, in Lisbon.
Pastel de nata is a Portuguese pastry with a creamy custard filling and a flaky crust, often sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
Ingredients:
Tart Base
2 cups (250g) All -Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
3/4 cup (184g) Cold Water + 1-2 table spoons
8 ounces (225g) Unsalted Butter
Filling
700g Whole Egg
2 Large Egg Yolks
43-45g of Sugar
150g Whipping Cream
75 ml of Full Fat Milk
Method: Tart Base
STEP 1 Put the flour and a pinch of salt in the food processor. Turn it on and steadily pour in 185ml of cold water. When the dough comes together, cover it in cling film and chill for 20 mins.
STEP 2 Lightly flour your surface and roll the dough into a 25cm circle. Put the butter in between two pieces of baking parchment and soften it by tapping it with a rolling pin. Cut the butter in half and repeat the process until the butter is pliable but still cold. Reshape to the size roughly of a postcard.
STEP 3 Put the butter in the centre of the pastry and fold over the right and left sides of the circle, overlapping in the middle. Press the dough with your rolling pin to make it longer and then lightly mark into thirds. Fold the bottom third up to cover the middle third and the top third down. Seal the dough gently by pressing down on the edges with your rolling pin.
STEP 4 Roll the dough out to a long rectangle keeping the edges square and the sides straight. Mark the dough into thirds again, fold the bottom third up and the top third down. Seal the edges and give the dough a quarter turn. Repeat one more time, cover and chill for 20 mins.
STEP 5 On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry dough out to roughly a 12×12inch rectangle. Beginning at the short end, roll up the pastry dough, rolling it tightly as you go along. Wrap the pastry roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours.
Method: Custard Filling
STEP 1 - Microwave the milk in a large mixing bowl for 30 seconds
STEP 2 - Pour the sugar in stirring with a spoon until it is dissolved - Put the whole egg, egg yolks and cream into the bowl keep stirring until all combined (Sit aside for the assemble the tarts)
Baking the Tarts:
Preheat the oven to the highest temperature it will go 230'C
Use a pastry to cut the pastry log into about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick rounds.
Use 6 to 12 tart molds and a flat baking tray (a standard size non-stick muffin pan).
Place a pastry round in each mold. Use your thumbs to press the pastry down and up the sides to the very top to fit the mold.
Pour the prepared custard into each pastry case to about 3/4 of the way full.
Place the pan on the bottom rack of the preheated oven.
Bake for about 14-16 minutes
Sprinkle some icing sugar on top and enjoy!
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