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Portuguese egg tarts are an absolute delight to bake and eat. My ex-manager, Joao, is Portuguese and from the day he came to know that I love baking, he’s been asking me to bake some Portuguese egg tarts. It sounded daunting but to be fair, I didn’t even do a search for Portuguese egg tarts before deciding that in my mind. As he continued telling me how delicious they are and couldn’t be more different fromChinese Egg Tarts, I said I would try baking the Portuguese version if he could bring some for me from Portugal. He agreed.
You may also like these spinach feta muffins, very easy to bake and super delicious!
And then he went and made it happen. A few months after this conversation, he actually brought some egg tarts from back home and I tried them. They were custardy, sweet, and true to his word, delicious.
I had no more excuses to not bake some Portuguese egg tarts and the best opportunity came up when a bunch of were going to visit Joao and Ruth’s baby, Luke.
Imagine baking Portuguese egg tarts for the first time for a Portuguese. Go ahead, imagine that. Jitterville!
I did it and I got a huge thumbs up from Joao. He even said a lot of people in Singapore would be willing to pay for these. Hmmm…
Portuguese Egg Custard Tarts
Adapted from Not Quite Nigella
Makes 12
Ingredients:
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar (I would use slightly lesser than this next time)
2 tbsp cornflour
400ml full cream milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 block of puff pastry sheet
How to Make Portuguese Egg Tarts
1. Grease a muffin tray and pre heat oven to 200C.
2. Place the egg yolks, sugar, and cornflour in a pan and whisk together until well combined. Slowly add in the milk and mix well with no lumps.
3. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Let it simmer for 2-3 mins, then remove from heat and add the vanilla extract.
4. Transfer the custard to a bowl, cover, and let it cool.
5. Thaw the puff pastry sheet and roll to about 1/2″ thickness on a floured surface. Roll it from the width-side tightly and cut into small discs. Roll each disc (flouring the surface sufficiently) to the rough size of the muffin tray.
6. Lay each rolled out disc into the muffin tray, pour the cooled custard to about 3/4 level and bake for about 25 mins.
The custard will bubble up during baking, don’t worry! The top of the egg tart should have brownish black patches for that authentic Portuguese egg tart look!
Sprinkle the egg tarts with cinnamon powder and serve warm.
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Comments
These little guys were excellent. I received so many comments on them. Will be making them again!
Hi, you can make it more looking like Portuguese egg tart by using patty cake tin, don't use muffin tin because muffin tin won't make your puff pastry spring enough 🙂
Hi,
Did you use a puff pastry block or puff pastry sheet? The pastry part didn't turn out as flaky when i used the puff pastry sheet and rolled it up, etc, as per your instructions (which were very clear, thank you!). My aunt suggested that this is probably because puff pastry sheets were prepared to be immediately cut, while puff pastry BLOCKS are the ones that need the process illustrated above in order to give them layers.
Thank you.
yes you're right, these are the blocks and not the sheets. sorry for the confusion!
I love these–I've been to Lisbon twice and both times made sure to take a trip to the shop that is famous for these. I've never tried to make them on my own but I really should. Your photos are a great illustration of the process.
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FAQs
The Portuguese tarts rely more on egg yolks to impart richness, whereas a standard custard relies more heavily on milk or cream. Using that many egg yolks is what gives these little parcels their rich flavor and luscious texture.
What is the original egg tart in Portugal? ›
Pastéis de Belém is the original place that started selling Portuguese egg tarts, dating back to 1837. What I loved about the egg tarts at Pastéis de Belém is that the crust was layered and extremely crispy and flaky, while the egg tart in the middle was creamy and rich.
Do you eat Portuguese custard tarts hot or cold? ›
The best way to enjoy a Portuguese tart is to eat it warm. You can reheat it in the oven for a few minutes until the crust is crispy and the custard is warm. However, some people also enjoy it at room temperature or even chilled, so it ultimately comes down to personal preference.
How long do Portuguese custard tarts last in the fridge? ›
How long do Portuguese custard tarts last in the fridge? Because the tarts are made from eggs, cream and milk, it's important to store any leftovers in the fridge, where they can be kept for up to three days.
What is the most famous Portuguese tart? ›
No trip to Lisbon is complete without eating a pastéis de nata (or a few!). These Portuguese egg custard tarts are the perfect anytime-snack and really satisfy any sweet cravings you may have.
Is egg tart Chinese or Portuguese? ›
The egg tart (traditional Chinese: 蛋撻; simplified Chinese: 蛋挞; Cantonese Yale: daahn tāat; pinyin: dàntǎ) is a kind of custard tart found in Chinese cuisine, derived from the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata.
What is the best Portuguese egg tart in the world? ›
And my findings weren't that different to anybody else.
- The top three pastel de nata in lisbon.
- Pastéis de Belém. R. Belém, 1300-085 Lisboa. Open 7 days 8am to 11pm. ...
- Pastelaria Aloma. R. Francisco Metrass 67, 1350 Lisboa. ...
- Manteigaria Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata. Rua do Loreto 2, Lisboa. Open 7 days 8am to 12am.
The egg tart (traditional Chinese: 蛋撻; simplified Chinese: 蛋挞; Cantonese Yale: daahn tāat; pinyin: dàntǎ) is a kind of custard tart found in Chinese cuisine derived from the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata. The dish consists of an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard.
What is a famous Portuguese egg tart? ›
A specialty all over Lisbon, pasteis de nata are the famous Portuguese egg tart pastries. They have a flaky crust with a custard filling and are best enjoyed topped with a dusting of powdered sugar & cinnamon!
Should egg tarts be eaten cold or warm? ›
Egg tarts are subtly sweet bite-sized treats with a flaky crust and custard filling. They can be enjoyed warm from the oven, at room temperature, or even served cold.
Hong Kong-style egg tarts can be enjoyed chilled, while Portuguese-style egg tarts are typically preferred warm. When stored at room temperature, egg tarts should not be kept for more than a day. For longer storage, refrigerate them for up to 3 days or freeze them for up to a month.
Can you eat egg custard tarts a day out of date? ›
Food that has passed its best before date is safe to eat. Best before should be considered a rough guide rather than a strict rule. There is no reason to throw away food that goes past its best before date, it is perfectly safe to eat and will often taste just as good.
Can I leave a custard tart out overnight? ›
McDowell says that fruit and custard pies are best eaten within the first 24 hours after baking, but can be stored at room temperature for up to two days—any longer than that, and the crust will start to get soggy.
What is the famous Portuguese custard tart called? ›
Pastel de nata (Portuguese: [pɐʃˈtɛl dɨ ˈnatɐ]; pl. : pastéis de nata; Portuguese: [pɐʃˈtɐjʒ ðɨ-])) is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry, optionally dusted with cinnamon.
What's the difference between custard tart and nata? ›
Nata refers to whipped cream, in Portuguese or Spanish. Using the light-as-a-cloud whipped cream and whipped egg-white produces a lighter filling in the pastry shell than does using a traditional Iberian egg-custard flan filling.
Are custard tarts Portuguese or Chinese? ›
No. It's not technically a Chinese native, however. Custard egg tarts have been a British confectionary since the medieval times andPortuguese pasteis de nata have been around since the 18th century, first made by Catholic monks in Belém,Portugal.
What is another name for a custard tart? ›
Pastel de nata
| The typical appearance of the pastel de nata in Lisbon, Portugal |
|---|
| Alternative names | Pastel de Belém Pastries of Bethlehem 葡撻 (Cantonese) |
|---|
| Variations | egg tart, custard tart |
| Food energy (per serving) | c. 300 per 100 grams (3.5 oz) kcal |
| Media: Pastel de nata |
6 more rowsToday, tarts are enjoyed around the world, and there are many different variations. Common fillings for sweet tarts include fruit, custard, and cream, while savory tarts are typically filled with meats, cheeses, or vegetables.
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