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Taste the tradition of Portugal with every bite of Pastel de Nata aka Portuguese Custard Tarts
Pastel de Nata, also known as Portuguese Custard Tarts, has a long history that dates back to the 18th century. Monks at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon first made these delicious treats.
At that time, egg whites were used to starch clothes for religious purposes, so the leftover yolks were turned into sweet pastries, leading to the creation of this famous custard tart. Over the years, Pastel de Nata has become a beloved symbol of Portugal’s culinary tradition, enjoyed by both locals and tourists.
The light, flaky crust and creamy, caramelized custard filling offer a perfect mix of textures and flavors. People love Pastel de Nata not only for its taste but also because it represents Portugal’s rich traditions, providing comfort with every bite. With simple ingredients like eggs, sugar, and milk, it also gives a small energy boost, making it a perfect snack to enjoy with coffee or tea.
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Pastel de Nata aka Portuguese Custard Tarts
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Resting Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Cake, Cupcakes, Cookies and Tarts
- Method: Moderate
- Cuisine: Portuguese
Description
Up your dessert game with flaky, creamy Pastel de Nata.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 4–5 tbs sugar
- 2/3 cup cream
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 pack puff pastry
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients well in a bowl (except the pastry) and set in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
- Roll the pastry lengthwise and cover, put it in the fridge for 20 minutes to rest
- Cut the puff pastry into 12 even pieces, approximately 2 inches, and press each piece into a muffin tray.
- Spread it up the sides to the top.
- Once you have done the 12 pieces of dough, take the mixture you prepared earlier and fill each cup, not to the very top as they will rise.
- Place it in a 220C /425F oven for around 25 minutes until the pastry is crispy, and the tops have caramelized with black bits (those are the yummiest bits)
- Remove from the oven and let it rest a bit.
- Don’t be tempted to eat them straight away, they are hot.
- Enjoy, let me know how yours went.
- You can add cinnamon instead of vanilla or try a different flavor experiment.
Notes
Created, Prepared, tried, and tested by David from SA Tasty Recipes – Saffas Daily Recipes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 176
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 63.7 mg
- Fat: 11.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.1 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 15.3 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 2.9 g
- Cholesterol: 53.9 mg
I am linking up with a bunch of fantastic peeps from the blogosphere who host awesome Linkups: Sew Can Do
Products we love and used in this recipe, available from Amazon
I am linking up with a bunch of fantastic peeps from the blogosphere who host awesome Linkups: Fiesta Friday; Sew Can Do
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Thanks for dropping in and checking out the recipes and what’s on offer.
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Egg whites were used to starch clothes!? Wow! These tarts look so good. I love custard. Pinning! 🙂 Thank you for sharing this post with us at the Will Blog for Comments #52 linkup. We hope to see you back sharing more during our linkup #53. (It will be on a holiday schedule, open Dec. 2 – Jan. 2 while we take a break during the week of Thanksgiving.)
Thanks, Jennifer, for pinning, and hopefully you will have time to try it out. Thanks for the update on your holiday schedule. Enjoy it.
Who could resist a Portuguese custard tart? Interesting to read the history, as well as seeing the recipe. Thanks for linking at Is This Mutton and have a great weekend.
Morning Gail. Totally agree who can resist a Pastel de Nata. Hope you try it out and enjoy it at home.
This recipe sounds wonderful. I would love to enjoy it with my morning cup of coffee or my afternoon tea! Thank you for sharing with us at The Crazy Little Lovebirds link party #63.
It’s such a treat and everyone love it, Enjoy should you make it.
Esme, this is my most favorite dessert ever! I am going to give your recipe a try over the holidays as a special treat. Thanks for sharing at Photo & Story Treasures!
Hi Terri, thanks so much, I hope that you will enjoy this version. Please do let us know once you made it
Portuguese cuisine is amazing. Thanks for the recipe and a little of the history behind it!
You’re so welcome, I love to learn as much as possible when I can.
I love these and can’t wait to return to Lisbon. Portuguese literally sell them on every corner, and I could eat them all day, every day 🙂
This is such a loved treat, but one and all. Something I need to try to make myself.