Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

Ingredients

• For the custard:
• 300g whole milk
• 30g plain flour
• 250g caster sugar
• 125g water
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Zest of ½ lemon (optional)
• ¼ tsp salt
• For the pastry:
• 1 sheet (about 250g) of all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen
• Butter (for greasing tins)
• Flour (for rolling)
• To finish:
• Powdered sugar and ground cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250°C (or as high as your oven safely goes). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter.
2. Make the custard base: In a saucepan, whisk 30g flour into 100g of the milk until smooth. Add the remaining 200g milk and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens—about 4–6 minutes. Set aside.
3. In a separate saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil without stirring. Let it boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat. Slowly whisk the hot sugar syrup into the thickened milk mixture. Let it cool for a few minutes.
4. Whisk in egg yolks, vanilla, lemon zest (if using), and salt. Strain through a fine sieve. Set aside.
5. Prepare the pastry: Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 25x35 cm.
6. From the short side, roll it up tightly into a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
7. Place each piece cut-side down in a muffin cup. Dip your thumbs in water and press from the center outward to shape a tart shell with a thin bottom and higher sides (about 3 cm high).
8. Fill and bake: Pour the custard into each shell, filling just below the rim. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the custard is blistered and the pastry is deeply golden. Rotate the tin once for even browning if needed.
9. Let cool in the tin for 5–10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
10. To serve: Dust with powdered sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.