Portuguese Custard Tarts

 I have an intense fondness for vanilla custard.

Sidebar: When I was a toddler, my giagia would make us κρέμα Βανίλια from the ΓΙΩΤΗΣ sachets. We would crowd around her, impatiently waiting for her to spoon it into our small bowls. Then, we would slowly skim and eat the skin that would form on the top, before devouring the rest of it. I use to think that NOTHING could beat the taste of that ΓΙΩΤΗΣ vanilla custard, but alas I have been mistaken.

So when I went to Faro, Portugal the other week, the first thing I did was go to a bakery and sample Portuguese Custard Tarts, or, Pastéis de Nata. They were absolutely amazing! In fact, I ate one every morning. If you are anything like me and you visit Portugal, you must go to a bakery and have a pastry and um galão or a uma meia de leite.

Inspired by the flavours of Portugal, and forever craving those custard tarts, I made my own as soon as I got back home. 

Portuguese Custard Tarts

Makes 12 individual tarts

Recipe from weekendbakery

Tools

12 8ml-Muffin Tin

Hand Mixer

Pan

Measuring spoons

Ingredients

3 egg yolks

115 g Sugar

4 tbsp, 30g Cornflour

250 ml Cream

170 ml Milk

2 tsp Vanilla

Just Roll puff pastry
1 cinnamon stick

Method

1. Add Egg Yolks, Sugar and Cornflour in a pan, and whisk until it resembles a thick paste. Gradually add in the Cream and Milk, and whisk vigorously until smooth

2. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil (this will take a while so don't rush the process). Continue stirring on a low heat for 1 minute to cook the starch. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. 

3. Preheat oven to 200C/390F, and lightly grease muffin tray.

4. Using a rolling pin, roll out your pastry dough on a lightly floured surface until it is about half inch thick. Then using a cookie cutter, cut out as many rounds as your tin allows. 

6. Press the pastry rounds into the muffin tin. Spoon the custard into the pastry cases and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry and custard are golden. Leave the tarts in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.