Portuguese Egg Tart (葡式蛋挞, Pastel de Nata)

A portuguese egg tart recipe that creates a crispy crunchy layered crust with a creamy and effectively balanced custard filling that’s not too candy. Regardless of when you’re serving them for a weekend brunch, afternoon tea snack, or as an edible reward, they’re the proper possibility. {Vegetarian}

What’s Portuguese egg tart

Portuguese egg tart, also referred to as “Pastel de Nata,” encompasses a layered and flaky crust produced from puff pastry, stuffed with a wealthy creamy custard. The highest is usually caramelized, giving it a barely burnt look and a wealthy taste. 

These pleasant tarts had been first launched by the Portuguese in Macau within the late twentieth century. Since then, they’ve turn out to be some of the in style pastries in China. 

Why this recipe

Portuguese egg tart was certainly one of my favourite pastries again once I was dwelling in China. After consuming it within the US, I used to be shocked that they had been fairly totally different from the model I used to be accustomed to. 

In comparison with the Portuguese egg tarts in China, the American model is normally a lot sweeter, the custard is runnier, and the crust is sort of skinny. Alternatively, the Chinese language model encompasses a barely thicker crust that’s extra flaky and crispy. The custard is a little more set, has a wealthy perfume of egg and milk, and is mildly candy. 

For me, the Chinese language model has a way more balanced texture and taste profile, which I desire. 

That’s why I labored with my pastry chef Emily Drucker to develop this Portuguese egg tart recipe that ticks all of the containers in my e book.

Portuguese egg tart elements

Components for the crust

The portuguese egg tart crust consists of simply 4 widespread pantry elements:

• All-purpose flour
• Butter
• Water
• Salt

From these easy elements, you’ll be making a layered pastry dough that makes a brilliant flaky and crispy crust similar to skilled bakeries.

Components for the custard

The elements for the custard are fairly easy as effectively and you may in all probability discover the whole lot in your fridge and pantry:

• Milk
• Egg yolks
• All-purpose flour
• Sugar
• Lemon
• Cinnamon sticks
• Water

Loads of Portuguese egg tart recipes use vanilla as a substitute of cinnamon sticks. For me, I discover the latter taste extra advanced and distinctive. You need to use both flavoring methodology relying in your style.

This recipe creates a wealthy, creamy custard that’s fragrant and never too candy. It pairs completely with the crispy crust to create a dessert that’s irresistible!

Methods to make Portuguese egg tart

Put together the dough

1. Mix the flour, salt and water
2. Combine with a spatula
3. Combine till a dough is fashioned
4. Knead the dough briefly
5. Let the dough relaxation for quarter-hour
6. The dough will turn out to be clean and sticky

Make the pastry dough – 1st half

1. Gently form the dough right into a ball with out kneading
2. Roll the dough to a big rectangle sheet (the precise measurement doesn’t matter)
3. Unfold the softened butter over the dough sheet
4. Fold up the decrease third of the dough
5. Fold down the higher third of the dough
6. Rotate the dough 90 levels
7. Roll the dough out right into a rectangle
8. Brush off extra flour and repeat the identical course of twice

This manner, you’ll have made a pastry dough with many skinny layers.

Make the pastry dough – 2nd half

1. Trim off the sides of the dough so it’s a big sq.
2. Roll the sq. right into a log
3. Gently form the dough to even it out
4. Divide the dough in half (so it’s simpler to relax within the fridge)
5. You may see the dough is properly layered
6. Cowl the dough and switch it into the fridge to relax for two hours

Cook dinner the custard

1. Create the syrup by melting the sugar in water with the cinnamon and lemon
2. Warmth the flour, milk and salt in a saucepan
3. Cook dinner and whisk the combination
4. As soon as thickened, switch the combination to chill off barely
5. Pressure the syrup into the flour milk combination
6. Whisk to mix
7. Add the egg yolk
8. Run the combination by a strainer for a clean texture

Assemble the egg tarts and bake

1. Divide every pastry dough log into 5 items (so that you get 10 complete)
2. Dip the lower sides within the flour
3. Roll the dough right into a spherical disk
4. Press the dough right into a muffin tin 
5. Fill the dough with custard
6. Bake till golden brown

As soon as baked, you will want to let the egg tarts relaxation for a couple of minutes. The highest of the tarts will deflate as soon as rested.

Now you’ll be able to benefit from the tarts whereas heat, or wait till they’ve cool off to room temperature.

Methods to retailer and reheat Portuguese egg tart

Portuguese egg tarts style the most effective once they’re recent out of the oven. Should you’re serving them the identical day you make them, you’ll be able to retailer them loosely coated at room temperature. For longer storage, seal them in a container and retailer it within the fridge for a number of days.

You may at all times heat up refrigerated egg tarts within the oven earlier than serving.

These Portuguese egg tarts are good for breakfast, afternoon tea, and snacks all through the day. My favourite method is to pair them with a cup of scorching tea. 

Frequent questions

Why does my egg tart not have the char on the highest?

In case your oven’s heating factor sits on the underside of the oven, your egg tarts won’t caramelize correctly. Your greatest guess is to make use of a blow torch to brown the highest after the tarts are baked.

Don’t over bake these tarts to get the highest charred. It is going to lead to over cooking the custard and make it much less creamy.

What’s the distinction between Portuguese and Chinese language egg tarts?

Chinese language egg tarts, or Hong Kong egg tarts, have a shortcrust pastry and a smoother, extra gelatinous custard filling. The Chinese language model doesn’t have the caramelized high that’s attribute of the Portuguese tart. You may check with my Hong Kong egg tarts recipe.

Methods to reheat Portuguese egg tart in an air fryer?

You may warmth up the egg tarts at 300°F within the air fryer for a few minutes to heat them by earlier than serving. 

Different scrumptious Chinese language bakery recipes

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Portuguese Egg Tart (葡式蛋挞, Pastel de Nata)

A portuguese egg tart recipe that creates a crispy crunchy layered crust with a creamy and effectively balanced custard filling that’s not too candy. Regardless of when you’re serving them for a weekend brunch, afternoon tea snack, or as an edible reward, they’re the proper possibility. {Vegetarian}

Writer: Maggie Zhu

Course: Bakery

Delicacies: Chinese language

Key phrase: Chinese language bakery model

Prep Time: 2 hours hours

Cook dinner Time: 20 minutes minutes

Inactive time: 2 hours hours

Complete Time: 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Components

Dough

• 215 g (1 1/3 cups) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 150 g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) water
• 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter , very softened (*Footnote 1)

Filling

• 40 g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk
• 5 egg yolks
• Peels of 1 lemon (or 1 teaspoon lemon extract)
• 2 cinnamon sticks (or 1/4 teaspoon floor cinnamon)

Syrup

• 140 g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) sugar
• 57 g (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) water

Directions

Put together the dough

• Add the flour and salt right into a medium-sized bowl and stir to combine effectively. Pour within the water. Combine with a spatula till the water has absolutely integrated and a dough begins to kind.

• Evenly mud a clear work floor. Flip the dough onto the floor. Knead briefly, 5 minutes or so, till it varieties a ball with a barely coarse floor. Place the dough again into the bowl and canopy with plastic wrap or a moist towel. Let relaxation for quarter-hour. The dough will turn out to be clean and really sticky.

Make the pastry

• Mud the working floor with flour once more. Flip the dough onto the floor. Gently form the dough right into a ball with out kneading (to keep away from creating gluten). Then roll the dough into a skinny giant rectangle sheet, about 1/8” thick.

• Utilizing a small offset spatula, unfold 1/3 of the butter everywhere in the floor of the dough, leaving a 1” border on the edges. It’s okay if there’s a number of small tears at this step, or if the butter doesn’t unfold completely evenly.

• Fold the underside third of the dough as much as cowl the center third, after which fold the remaining high third down so it covers the primary folded half. Rotate the dough 90°, including extra flour as essential to keep away from sticking.

• Repeat rolling and folding course of a second time. If at any level there’s extra flour on the highest of the dough earlier than including butter, brush off evenly with a pastry brush.

• Flip the folded dough one other 90°, and repeat this another time with the final third of the butter.

• With the lengthy aspect of the dough going through you, roll the sheet as soon as once more right into a rectangle, about 1/8” thick. Trim 1/2” from all edges to even the edges of the dough.

• Roll dough away from you, right into a log, after which gently form it together with your fingers to even it out.

• Lower the log in half with a pointy knife, and wrap each halves in plastic. Refrigerate for two hours, or freeze for 1 hour, till agency.

Make the syrup

• Mix the sugar, water, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Carry to boil for 1 minute, and take away from warmth to chill. If utilizing lemon extract and floor cinnamon, this may be added as soon as the syrup is faraway from warmth.

Make the custard

• In one other medium-sized saucepan, add the flour, milk, and salt. Cook dinner over medium warmth, whisking continually till thickened, 3 minutes or so. Put aside to chill for not less than 10 minutes.

• As soon as the flour milk paste combination has cooled off, place a small strainer over the pot. Pour within the syrup over the strainer, then discard the lemon peels and cinnamon. Whisk to combine the syrup.

• Add the egg yolk and whisk once more, till evenly integrated.

• Place a small strainer over a big measuring cup or a bowl with a pouring spout. Pour the custard combination by the strainer. Use a spatula to push any residual items by the strainer. You may wish to repeat this step to get a extra clean and even combination.

Assemble and prepare dinner the egg tarts

• Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Lower every dough log into 1 1/4” (3 cm) items, creating 10 items in complete.

• Dip the lower ends of items in flour to evenly coat, and with the lower aspect going through up. Press then roll it with a rolling pin to kind an excellent circle, about 3” (7.5cm) inches in diameter. Firmly press the dough into an un-greased muffin tin, clean and press it from the underside to the highest, till the dough reaches simply excessive edges. Repeat with the remaining dough items.

• Fill the pressed dough items about 3/4 full with the custard.

• Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 15 to twenty minutes, rotating midway by, till custard is about and pastry is mild brown on edges. Flip the oven as much as 500°F (260°C) and proceed baking for five extra minutes, till the pastry is golden brown and the custard has darkish, blistered patches. Be aware, relying on the placement of your oven’s heating factor, the custard won’t brown evenly. To attain the most effective char consequence, you may want to make use of a blowtorch after baking the egg tarts.

• As soon as the egg tarts are cooked, switch the muffin tin to a cooling rack. Enable to chill a bit earlier than eradicating the egg tarts. Benefit from the tarts nonetheless heat or at room temperature.

• (Elective) You may sprinkle the egg tarts with a mix of 1 tablespoon granulated sugar + 1 teaspoon floor cinnamon as garnish.

Retailer and reheat

• Retailer the egg tarts in an hermetic container within the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 400°F (200°C) oven for five to 10 minutes, to barely heat up the tarts earlier than serving. Don’t freeze the egg tarts.

Notes

1. The butter must be very tender however not melted. You can be spreading the butter over a really skinny and tender dough. The very tender butter will guarantee which you can unfold it into a skinny layer with out breaking the dough.

Vitamin

Serving: 1serving, Energy: 253kcal, Carbohydrates: 35.3g, Protein: 4.4g, Fats: 10.8g, Saturated Fats: 6.1g, Ldl cholesterol: 127mg, Sodium: 185mg, Potassium: 45mg, Fiber: 0.7g, Sugar: 14.6g, Calcium: 30mg, Iron: 1mg