Pastel de nata
A small, flaky pastry shell filled with silky egg custard and baked until the top blisters with dark spots. It is eaten warm with cinnamon and powdered sugar and a cup of coffee.
Pasteis de Belem: Mon Œil, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
Pastel de nata comes from the Belem district of Lisbon, where it has been sold since the nineteenth century. It is now a symbol of Portuguese bakeries, enjoyed all over the country and in Portuguese communities around the world.
Explore the cuisine of Portugal.
Recipe
Make Pastel de nata at home
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry (about 10 oz / 280 g)
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Strip of lemon peel
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Cinnamon and powdered sugar for dusting
How it's made
- Heat the oven to its highest setting, about 500 F (260 C), and grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
- Roll the puff pastry into a tight log, cut into 12 rounds and press each into a cup, thinning up the sides.
- Whisk milk and flour in a pan over medium heat until thick, then cool slightly.
- Boil sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon peel for 3 minutes to make a syrup, discard the cinnamon and peel.
- Whisk the syrup into the milk mixture, then add yolks and vanilla and strain.
- Fill each shell about 3/4 full.
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes until the tops are spotted dark brown.
- Cool slightly and dust with cinnamon.
Variations
- Pastel de Belem, the original tart.
- Chocolate version.
- Mini nata for parties.
Cook’s tip: Use the hottest oven you have to blister the top and keep the pastry crisp.
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About this page
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
Photo credit
- Pasteis de Belem: Mon Œil, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)