Portuguese Custard Tarts –Pastéis de nata
by Jeremiah Duarte Bills

Pastéis de nata or pastéis de Belém (Bethlehem tarts) are the most famous and iconic of all Portuguese pastries. A custard rich in egg yolks and milk is baked in a puff pastry at a very high temperature which produces iconic black spots of caramelization. Originating in the 18th century at the Jerónimos Monastery in the Belém neighborhood of Lisbon, the original recipe was developed by monks and later sold to a family and is now a secret. The family sells these tarts at Pastéis de Belém. However, because of their popularity there are many wonderful recipes which come close to the original, but these must be called pastéis de nata because they are not made at Pastéis de Belem. I studied over a dozen recipes in Portuguese and English comparing ingredient ratios and techniques to create a pastel de nata that matches my memory of the perfect custard tart. To be honest my favorite version isn’t in Lisbon but in Porto at the Confeitaria Petúlia. Their custard was richer in egg yolks and was an unforgettable experience. Nata means cream in Portuguese, but the tarts only contain milk. The reason is the finished custard is so rich and smooth just like cream. These tarts were taken to Macau, China while it was Portuguese colony. Macau still has their own version as does Hong Kong which was influenced by the Portuguese version.  
 
I have included a recipe to make your own Portuguese style puff pastry, but you can also use store-bought pastry. I highly recommend taking the time to make the pastry. It can be done days in advance and is incredibly rewarding. If you use a high quality European style butter if will definitely outshine any store-bought pastry.
 
Makes about 36 small tarts depending on the size of your tins
 
The traditional tins which are sometimes called Egg Tart Tins are available online. They are shallow with sloped sides. You may use mini-muffin or standard size muffin pans if you do not have the traditional tins, but they will be deeper with straighter sides. You your yield and baking times will vary depending on the size tins you choose.
 
Ingredients:
 
Puff pastry ingredients: 
(inspired by Confeiteria Moura)
 
454 grams (2 cups) unsalted European style (high fat) butter (preferably organic, straight brought to room temperature and divided into 4 amounts:  3 x 131 grams and 60 grams)
454 grams (3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour (I recommend King Arthur)
236 grams (1 cup) water, room temperature
11 grams (2 tsp) lemon juice
1 + 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
 
or
 
980 grams (2.2 lb.) store bought puff pastry sheets
 
Homemade puff pastry Method:

  1. Measure all ingredients. Divide the butter into three portions each weighing approximately 131 grams. 
  2. Place the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add  the 60 grams (4 tbsp) of butter to the flour. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour until well incorporated. 
  3. Sprinkle the salt over the mixture.
  4. Add the water and lemon juice then mix on low using the dough hook attachment until ingredients begin to come together. 
  5. Increase speed to medium low (speed 4) and beat until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. 
  6. Place the dough on a work surface and form into a ball. 
  7. Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. 
  8. Roll and stretch the dough until it measures 8 inches by 15 inches. Use flour to dust the counter conservatively when rolling. You do not want the dough to absorb too much flour. 
  9. Place one third of the butter on the dough spacing it evenly. Using an offset spatula smooth it into an even layer leaving an inch border on all sides of the dough. 
  10. Fold dough into thirds like a business letter. Make sure your corners are square. If they are rounded use your ruler or bench scraper to reshape them. Brush off any excess flour. 
  11. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place on a small sheet pan and chill in the refrigerator for 30 to 40 minutes to give the dough a change to relax and the butter to firm. You want the dough to feel cold but not stiff. 
  12. Turn so that the closed end faces the left and the open end the right. 
  13. Roll again to an 8 by 15 inches. Place the second third of the butter on the dough spacing it evenly. Using an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer leaving an inch border on all sides. Perform another letter fold brushing off any excess flour. Make sure to use a ruler or bench scraper to constantly keep your lines straight and edges square. If at any time the butter gets too warm or the dough becomes hard to handle place it in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes. A cool kitchen and cool counter top is preferable when working with puff pastry. 
  14. Indent the dough with two knuckle prints (as a mark of two turns), wrap in plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not leave it longer or the butter will lose its plasticity and break while your roll. If you do happen to leave it longer let it sit out for a short time to slightly soften. 
  15. Place dough with the closed side to your left and roll to 8 by 15 inches.
  16. Place the last third of the butter on the dough spacing it evenly. Using an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer leaving an inch border on all sides. 
  17. Perform another letter fold. Mark with 3 knuckle prints. 
  18. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes. 
  19. Roll dough again to 8 by 15 inches and perform a book fold. Fold both narrow ends towards the center leaving a small gap in the center. Make sure your corners are square and then fold both ends together like closing a book. For this recipe, I use only 4 turns to prevent the pastry from puffing too much while baking. (Generally, puff pastry will have up to 7 turns).
  20. Cut dough in half. You will only need half for the amount of custard in this recipe. Alternatively, you can use the full amount of pastry and double the custard amount. 
  21. Refrigerate for 30 to 40 minutes. 
 
Custard ingredients: 
​(adapted from Rita Nascimento and Chefe Silva)
 
515 grams (2 cups + 2 tsp) whole milk
30 grams (2 tbsp) all-purpose flour
30 grams (3 tbsp) cornstarch
150 grams (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) water
300 grams (1+1/2 cups) sugar
2 large strips lemon zest
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
140 grams (7 to 9 large) egg yolks
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
 
cinnamon for sprinkling 
powdered sugar for sprinkling
 
Custard Method:

  1. Prepare the custard while waiting for your pastry to chill in step 3 of “Rolling homemade/store-bought puff pastry and baking.” You may also prepare it ahead of time and reserve in the refrigerator.
  2. Whisk two tablespoons of the milk with the flour and corn starch.
  1. Slowly add the remaining milk while whisking to avoid lumps.
  2. Pour milk and flour mixture into a medium sauce pan with the lemon peels and cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil while whisking constantly. It will thicken as it reaches the boil. Turn off the heat once it boils. 
  3. In another medium saucepan combine the water and sugar. Turn heat to medium-high to high stirring until the mixture comes to a boil. Once it reaches a boil do not stir. Boil the mixture until it reaches 225 degrees Fahrenheit. 
  4. Slowly drizzle syrup into milk mixture while constantly whisking. 
  5. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps, the lemon zest and the cinnamon stick. Leave to cool until slightly warm or to room temperature. 
  6. Whisk yolks and salt together in a large bowl once the milk mixture has cooled. 
  7. Slowly whisk the milk mixture little by little into the yolks. 
  8. Place finished custard into a measuring cup with a spout, small pitcher or depositor. You may store in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap until needed. 
 
Rolling homemade or store-bought puff pastry and baking Method:

  1. Roll homemade (1/2 batch) or store-bought dough to a rectangle about 10 1/2 by 16 1/2 by 1 quarter of an inch thick. Roll store bought dough until one quarter of an inch thick. 
  2. Lightly dampen the surface of the dough and starting from the long end roll the dough into a roll (like a jelly roll). You want the roll to have a 2-inch diameter approximately. 
  3. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight until very firm. This is the perfect time to prepare the custard.
  4. Depending on the size of your tins cut slices of the dough and place in each tin or mini-muffin pan opening. Cut slices ¼ inch thick for mini muffin tins, traditional tins, and egg tart tins. For standard size muffin pans cut disks ½ inch thick.
  5. Place tins in refrigerator until dough has firmed again. 
  6. Using wet thumbs gently push the center of the dough into the base of the tin. 
  7. Using your thumbs quickly press the rest of the dough against the sides until it’s is very thin an eighth to sixteenth of an inch thick. You want it to rise higher than the ridge of the tin. If at any time, the dough seems too warm or soft chill it again. The dough should remain cold and firm at all times.
  8. Refrigerate for 60 minutes to relax the dough and firm up the butter. I recommend placing the lined tins in the freezer for 30 minutes or longer prior to baking.
 
Baking Method:
 (This is my work around to balance properly cooked pastry and some caramelization spots. I start the oven at 350 and once the tarts go in I immediately raise the oven temperature to 500 or as hot as your oven will go. Traditionally they are baked directly in a hot oven. If you prefer to try that method bake at 500 or 550 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 17 minutes)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a convection setting if you can. Place rack in top of your oven.
  2. Place the tins on two stacked sheet pans. This will help prevent the pastry from burning.
  3. Pour or deposit the chilled custard into the tins filling 3/4 full. It will seem like too little, but the pasty will shrink, and you do not want the filling to overflow.
  4. Place in the oven and immediately change your oven for 500 or 550 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and custard has brown and or black spots which is the traditional look of these pastries. Prioritize well-cooked pastry over the spots to avoid burning the pastry and curdling the custard.
  5. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. 
  6. Let cool for 5 minutes and then using an offset spatula remove the pastries from their tins. 
  7. Sprinkle with cinnamon and or powdered sugar.
  8. They are best eaten the day they are baked or the following day after being warmed. 
 
Tips and Troubleshooting:

  • Always test one pastry first to see how your oven effects the finished product. 
  • If the visible pasty burns but the custard doesn’t brown you need to move your baking rack down lower in your oven. 
  • If the base of your pastry burns, place your tins on another stacked sheet pan.
  • If your custard won’t brown/blacken, broil briefly before serving. 
  • If your pastry shrinks, your pastry dough roll was too narrow, you didn’t let the dough rest enough while rolling and lining the tins, or the dough wasn’t cold enough before baking.
  • Keep dough cold at all times. 
  • You can store lined tines in the refrigerator or freezer to fill and bake when needed.
  • Traditionally egg tart tins are not washed but wiped clean, so they become seasoned over time. 
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