I love trying new dishes, both as a cook and as a consumer, so when I saw a photo of this beautiful tart, I had to find out more. After some research and a little drooling, I knew that I wanted to recreate this tasty little treat myself and today I would like to introduce you to the portuguese custard tart.
This adorable little pastry cup is filled with a rich cinnamon pastry cream that is just perfect. This recipe is easy and that’s a good thing, because I will most likely be making these again very soon. They are perfect with a cup of coffee for breakfast or for dessert and because they are little, you don’t have to feel any guilt about having more than one.
Start by gathering your ingredients. I used fresh puff pastry, so it is kept in the refrigerator, but you can absolutely use frozen puff pastry, just ensure that it has fully thawed (this usually takes 4-6 hours in the refrigerator). Separate out your 5 egg yolks and 1 whole egg and grab your kitchen scale. You will need one small saucepan, one medium saucepan and one medium mixing bowl. I go ahead and prepare my muffin pan at this time as well, because this recipe doesn’t take too long to come together!
In the small saucepan, bring 160ml or 2/3 cup of water and 220 grams of granulated sugar to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk it a bit as it simmers and once the sugar begins to dissolve, add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Allow it to simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved and then remove it from the heat. In the medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of whole milk and 2/3 cup of heavy cream to a simmer and just as it begins to boil, remove it from the heat. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 5 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of corn starch.
Once the egg mixture is smooth and fully incorporated, slowly add the hot milk, a little bit at a time, until it has all been added to the egg mixture. Combine them slowly and whisk constantly while you’re doing it. If you add hot milk to eggs too quickly, you will make scrambled eggs. This is pretty easy to avoid though by going slowly and keeping everything moving. Once the eggs and milk have been combined, transfer the mixture back into the medium saucepan and place it over medium heat.
Whisk over medium heat until a thick pudding like texture develops and then remove it from the heat. Slowly pour the dissolved sugar mixture into the thickened milk mixture and whisk well. Once it is smooth and fully incorporated, set it aside and grab your puff pastry.
Roll the puff pastry out onto a lightly floured surface and cut it into 12 portions. Press a portion into each lightly greased cup of a standard 12 cup muffin pan.
The entire cup should be wrapped in puff pastry. Gently press it along all sides and up to the very top of each cup. You can allow any excess to rest around the rim of the opening. Once the puff pastry has been finished, carefully pour the custard filling into each cup filling them about 2/3 of the way. The custard rises a bit as it sets, so do not fill them to the top.
Bake at 425 degrees for about 18 minutes. The edges of the pastry should be golden brown and it you gently touch the custard, it should feel set and not too loose.
Serve these beauties hot with a dusting of powdered sugar. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Portuguese Custard Tarts
Ingredients
- 220 grams granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 5 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 sheet of puff pastry
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
- Bring 220 grams of sugar and 2/3 cup of water to simmering in a small saucepan over medium heat
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and whisk while simmering to combine
- Once the sugar has completely dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside
- In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of whole milk and 2/3 cup of heavy cream to a light boil and remove from the heat and set aside
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 5 egg yolks, 1 large whole egg, 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract and 1/4 cup of corn starch
- Slowly add the hot milk mixture to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid the eggs becoming too hot too quickly
- Once the milk and eggs are fully combined, pour this mixture back into the medium saucepan and return the pan to medium heat
- Whisk this mixture constantly over medium heat until it develops a pudding like texture and then remove it from the heat
- Slowly add the dissolved sugar mixture, whisking constantly, until everything is fully incorporated and then set this aside
- Roll the puff pastry out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal portions
- Press a portion of puff pastry into each cup of a standard 12 cup muffin pan
- Fill each cup 2/3 of way full with the custard filling
- Bake at 425 degrees for about 18 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the custard feels set to the touch
- Serve warm, dusted with confectioners sugar
