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Portuguese egg tarts are an absolute delight to bake and eat. My ex-manager, Joao, is Portuguese and from the day he came to know that I love baking, he’s been asking me to bake some Portuguese egg tarts. It sounded daunting but to be fair, I didn’t even do a search for Portuguese egg tarts before deciding that in my mind. As he continued telling me how delicious they are and couldn’t be more different fromChinese Egg Tarts, I said I would try baking the Portuguese version if he could bring some for me from Portugal. He agreed.
You may also like these spinach feta muffins, very easy to bake and super delicious!
And then he went and made it happen. A few months after this conversation, he actually brought some egg tarts from back home and I tried them. They were custardy, sweet, and true to his word, delicious.
I had no more excuses to not bake some Portuguese egg tarts and the best opportunity came up when a bunch of were going to visit Joao and Ruth’s baby, Luke.
Imagine baking Portuguese egg tarts for the first time for a Portuguese. Go ahead, imagine that. Jitterville!
I did it and I got a huge thumbs up from Joao. He even said a lot of people in Singapore would be willing to pay for these. Hmmm…
Portuguese Egg Custard Tarts
Adapted from Not Quite Nigella
Makes 12
Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar (I would use slightly lesser than this next time)
2 tbsp cornflour
400ml full cream milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 block of puff pastry sheet
How to Make Portuguese Egg Tarts
1. Grease a muffin tray and pre heat oven to 200C.
2. Place the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour in a pan and whisk together until well combined. Slowly add in the milk and mix well with no lumps.
3. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Let it simmer for 2-3 mins, then remove from heat and add the vanilla extract.
4. Transfer the custard to a bowl, cover, and let it cool.
5. Thaw the puff pastry sheet and roll to about 1/2″ thickness on a floured surface. Roll it from the width-side tightly and cut into small discs. Roll each disc (flouring the surface sufficiently) to the rough size of the muffin tray.
6. Lay each rolled out disc into the muffin tray, pour the cooled custard to about 3/4 level and bake for about 25 mins.
The custard will bubble up during baking, don’t worry! The top of the egg tart should have brownish black patches for that authentic Portuguese egg tart look!
Sprinkle the egg tarts with cinnamon powder and serve warm.
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Comments
These little guys were excellent. I received so many comments on them. Will be making them again!
Hi, you can make it more looking like Portuguese egg tart by using patty cake tin, don't use muffin tin because muffin tin won't make your puff pastry spring enough 🙂
Hi,
Did you use a puff pastry block or puff pastry sheet? The pastry part didn't turn out as flaky when i used the puff pastry sheet and rolled it up, etc, as per your instructions (which were very clear, thank you!). My aunt suggested that this is probably because puff pastry sheets were prepared to be immediately cut, while puff pastry BLOCKS are the ones that need the process illustrated above in order to give them layers.
Thank you.
yes you're right, these are the blocks and not the sheets. sorry for the confusion!
I love these–I've been to Lisbon twice and both times made sure to take a trip to the shop that is famous for these. I've never tried to make them on my own but I really should. Your photos are a great illustration of the process.
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FAQs
If you've never tried a Portuguese egg tart before, think of the texture and flavor profile of crème brûlée custard but baked into a flakey pastry crust. The difference that separates the pastéis de nata custard is that it calls for more egg yolks than a standard custard recipe.
What is the original egg tart in Portugal? ›
Originally discovered by Portuguese nuns at Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, the sweet treats soon became popular and spread across the world. Pastéis de Belém is the original place that started selling Portuguese egg tarts, dating back to 1837.
What is the most famous Portuguese egg tart in Lisbon? ›
Pastéis de Belém
It's the most famous spot in Lisbon to eat pastéis de nata, and is an absolute must when you visit. Since 1837, locals and tourists alike have been lining up to snag a box of custard tarts to eat in the café or on the go.
What is a famous Portuguese custard tart? ›
Pastel de nata (Portuguese: [pɐʃˈtɛl dɨ ˈnatɐ]; pl. : pastéis de nata; Portuguese: [pɐʃˈtɐjʒ ðɨ-])) is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry, optionally dusted with cinnamon.
Do Portuguese tarts need to be refrigerated? ›
Because the tarts are made from eggs, cream and milk, it's important to store any leftovers in the fridge, where they can be kept for up to three days. That said, these tarts are at their peak when they're served fresh, still warm from the oven.
What are the 3 types of custard? ›
3 Varieties of Custard
There are three main varieties of custard: baked custard, stirred custard, and steamed custard. The first two are both popular in Western cuisine. Baked custard is typically firmer and made with whole eggs, while stirred custards can be much runnier and often only contain the yolks.
What is the origin of Portuguese egg tarts? ›
The origin of Pastel de Nata dates back to before the 18th century, where they were created by monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in the parish of Santa Maria de Belém in Lisbon. At that time, convents and monasteries used large quantities of egg-whites for starching clothes.
Is Portuguese egg tart healthy? ›
Nutrition of an egg tart
Meanwhile, each serving of Portuguese egg tart has 190 calories, 12 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat, 15 grams of carbohydrates and 15 grams of sugar. “Both pastries are unhealthy due to their high calorie and sugar content.
What are Portuguese tarts called in Portugal? ›
Pasteis de nata, or Portuguese custard tarts, with their signature flaky crust and sweet custard filling are world-famous, and incredibly delicious.
Why do Portuguese eat so many eggs? ›
There were times when you couldn't get a good price for your eggs, with the market fluctuating. If that was the case, they would go home and use up the remaining eggs in cakes or sweet bread that required numerous eggs. This is why you find many Portuguese cakes with upwards of 7 – 12 eggs in the recipe!
Pastel de Nata (cream tart) is Portugal's most famous pastry cake. These small custard delicacies are available everywhere and have small differences in the cream and puff pastry used as a shell.
What's the difference between egg custard and custard tart? ›
Custard tarts have long been a favourite pastry in Britain and the Commonwealth, where they are often called "egg custard tarts" or simply "egg custards" to distinguish the egg-based filling from the commonly served cornflour-based custards. They are sold in supermarkets and bakeries throughout the UK.
Does Costco sell Portuguese tarts? ›
Allie & Sara's Kitchen Portuguese Custard Tarts, 12 x 60 g | Costco.
Do you eat Portuguese custard tarts hot or cold? ›
These tarts are best enjoyed warm, rather than hot, and eaten on the day they're made, though they do keep for a day or so (and will benefit from a quick crisp-up in the oven before serving).
Why is it called a Portuguese tart? ›
The Portuguese egg tart was invented thanks to monks and laundry. With its distinctive caramelized, creme brulee-like topping, pastéis de nata are arguably Portugal's favorite dessert. They were supposedly first made in the 13th century by monks in the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon.
What is Portuguese custard made of? ›
Make the custard filling:
Whisk ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup sugar, 1¼ cup whole milk, 2 egg yolks, 4 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1¼ teaspoon vanilla extract in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. Place over medium low heat, continuing to whisk until the mixture begins to coat the sides of the pan.
Do you eat Portuguese tarts hot or cold? ›
They can be enjoyed warm or cold. If you've made a batch but don't want to eat them all they will freeze well. Just place a few in a tupperware box and freeze for up to 3 months. You probably won't need to though as they will all disappear pretty sharpish!
What is a custard tart? ›
a pastry container filled with custard, baked and usually eaten cold.
Audi
