Pastéis de Nata

Name: Pastéis de Nata
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 12 tarts
Ingredients: 1 sheet puff pastry; 250 ml milk; 1 stick (5 cm) cinnamon; 1 strip of lemon peel; 80 g sugar; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 150 ml heavy cream; 4 egg yolks; 1 tsp vanilla extract

Flaky puff pastry cups filled with rich, caramelized custard.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 60 min
Active: 25 min
Serves: 12 tarts
Difficulty: Medium
Cuisine: portuguese

Servings12

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Ingredients

Steps

Roll the puff pastry into a log and slice into 12 rounds, then press each into a muffin tin cup, up the sides.
Warm the milk with the cinnamon stick and lemon peel, then remove from heat and steep 10 minutes; strain out the solids.
Whisk the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan, then whisk in the cream, warm milk, and egg yolks.
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened slightly, then stir in the vanilla.
Pour the custard into the pastry cups, filling almost to the top.
Bake at 230°C / 450°F for 15-18 minutes until the tops are deeply browned in spots and the pastry is golden.
Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin.

Food safety Cook the custard fully so the eggs are set, not runny.