Cooking Lesson #39—Portuguese Custard Tartlets

How you doin’? Since you have so much time on your hands and your cooking skills have undoubtedly improved during the pandemic, I am throwing you a bit of a challenge today.

In Lisbon at A Padaria Portuguesa the center of the restaurant is the hot bakery and the star of the bakery is the Pasteis de Nata—Portuguese Custard Tartlets.to edit.

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Many cuisines have a custard dessert, in America we have custard pies, in France it’s the Crème Brûlée and in Hong Kong you can find the Don Tarts on the dim sum cart. Pasteis de Nata is so popular in Portugal that every bakery has their version. Pasteis de Belem is the most famous. They bake over 20,000 of these tarts a day.

What makes these tarts so much better than other international custard offerings? The pastry is thinner and crisper and the filling is usually still hot and creamy from the oven. They are sprinkled with a touch of cinnamon—they are absolutely delicious. Despite there being lots of wonderful freshly made Nata houses in Lisbon, A Padaria Portuguesa and Pasteis de Belem are definitely the best.
 
I’ve watched this recipe made in APP central bakery for years. This is a difficult recipe to make at home, but during this time you should have all the time in the world. I decided to simplify it a little to tailor it to the American kitchen. You’ll find that you already have all the ingredients in your kitchen pantry and refrigerator—they just require a few basics. It is a rather busy recipe and some practice is helpful, but well worth it.
 
Prep time:  1-1/2 hours
Chill time:  2 hours or overnight
Bake time:  25 minutes
Ready In:  4 hours
 
Ingredients
For the laminated dough
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup cold water
1 stick unsalted butter Plugra (European-style), softened, divided
 
For the syrup
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water                                                 
1 tablespoon water
1 lemon, zested with a microplane
 
For the custard
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1-1/2 cups milk
6 large egg yolks
Syrup (from recipe above)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)
 
Directions
To make the laminated dough

1. Combine the flour, salt and cold water in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be sticky; adjust with more flour or water to achieve a workable dough.
2. Transfer the dough onto a well-floured surface. Dust a little more flour over the top. Knead for a minute or two to form a round. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
3. Roll the dough into a square about 1/8-inch thick, dusting with flour as necessary; dough will still be sticky.
4. To make the laminated dough, spread 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the square using a spatula, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Flip the unbuttered side over the middle of the square and fold the opposite end over it like a letter. Straighten the edges as needed.
5. Turn the dough with a bench scraper to unstick it from the counter, dust with flour. Flip and sprinkle more flour on top. Roll dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, carefully stretching edges as needed. Spread another 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold into thirds. Transfer onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until butter is slightly chilled, about 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Sprinkle the dough with more flour and roll into a square about an 1/8-inch thick. Spread the remaining butter over the dough, leaving a 1- to 1-1/2-inch border on the top edge. Dip your finger in water and lightly moisten the unbuttered edge.
7. Roll dough into a log starting from the bottom edge. Dust with more flour and smooth over the ends. Wrap the dough log with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

To make the syrup

1. Combine the sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water and lemon zest in a pot. Boil over medium heat, without stirring, until syrup reaches 210° to 215⁰ F. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 550⁰ F.
3. Butter a muffin tin.

To make the custard

1. Whisk the flour, salt and cold milk together in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until milk thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
2. When the milk mixture has cooled enough to not scramble the eggs, whisk the egg yolks into the cooled milk one at a time. Add the syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Strain custard into a Pyrex measuring cup to remove any egg solids.
3. Unwrap the dough and trim to straighten the uneven ends.
4. Score the log into 12 equal pieces using a knife or bench scrapper; cut through the dough log.
5. Place a piece of dough in each muffin cup. Dip your thumb lightly in some cold water. Press thumb into the center of the swirl; push the dough against the bottom and up the sides of the cup until it reaches at least 1/8 inch past the top. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way with custard.
6. Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is browned and bubbly, and the tops start to blister and caramelize, about 12 minutes.
7. Cool tarts briefly; serve warm.

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