Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Cream Tarts)

Pastéis de Nata are delicious little cream tarts found in and around Lisbon. They originated at the Jerónimos Monastery in the Lisbon suburb of Belém.

The owners of the shop, Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém, purchased the recipe from the monks when the monastery closed in 1834. After all these years, the family has kept the original recipe a secret. Many pastry shops sell their own versions, but the Belém shop is the most popular place to buy the tarts.

This recipe isn't as good as the original pastries in Belém, but they are pretty darn tasty!

Pastéis de Nata

(Makes approximately 3 dozen small tarts.)

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• Rind of 1 lemon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 pound puff pastry (half a package of Pepperidge Farm® puff pastry sheets)
• Powdered sugar (confectioners sugar), for serving
• Cinnamon, for serving
• Individual mini tart molds or mini muffin tins for baking

Preheat the oven to 450^oF.

Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Cream Tarts)

Place the sugar and flour in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Pour the milk into a saucepan. Add the lemon rind and cinnamon stick. Bring just to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the stove.

Remove the lemon rind and cinnamon stick. Add the sugar mixture to the hot milk and stir to combine. Let it cool for 10 minutes.

Add the egg yolks and stir until well combined. 

Cook the custard on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and the custard coats the back of a spoon (do not allow mixture to boil). Remove from heat.

Roll out the puff pastry sheet and cut circles the dimension of the individual molds or muffin tins.

Place the cut circles in the molds or tins, making sure they line the bottom. With the help of your fingers, lightly press the pastry up along the sides to the edges of the molds or muffin tin wells. Chill the dough at least 10 minutes to firm.

Pour the filling into the pastry until about 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until tops have slightly browned.

Let the tarts cool in the tins on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove tarts from tins and let cool another 5 minutes.

Serve warm, sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar and cinnamon.