Sharing is Caring…

When we ask our clients what they loved most about their experience in Portugal (aside from the people) they tell us how much they enjoyed the food. Pastel da Nata’s are usually at the top of the list. So I asked my dear Portuguese neighbor if her grandmother would share her family recipe - here it is. Please note like many grandmother’s cooking recipes, it’s a pinch or this, a pinch of that but we tried to convert the measurements as close as we could and these came out pretty good.

Grandma Teresa’s Pastéis de Nata

Makes around 40 in a mini muffin tin. Prep time - around an hour and another hour or so for baking. It is quite an endeavor. Perhaps just come back to Portugal to enjoy them!

Dough

Around 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface

Pinch of sea salt (1/4 tea)

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water

2 sticks unsalted butter, let come to room temperature then beat until smooth

Custard

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups milk, divided

1 1/3 cups granulated sugar

1 whole cinnamon stick

2/3 cup water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 large egg yolks, whisk well

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE DOUGH - We are going old school here.

Mix the flour, salt, and water until a soft dough forms that pulls away from the side of the bowl, about 30 seconds.

Flour a work surface and pat the dough into a square - roughly 6 inches. Flour the dough, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Roll the dough into a square - roughly 18 inches. As you work, make sure the underside isn't sticking to your work surface flour as needed.

Brush any excess flour off the top of the dough then dot and spread the left 2/3rds portion of the dough with a little less than 1/3 of the butter. Leave a 1 inch un buttered border around the edge of the dough.

Next, fold the unbuttered right 1/3 of the dough (you may need a pastry scraper to loosen it if it sticks) over the rest of the dough to the middle. Then fold over the left 1/3 of the dough. Starting from the top, pat down the dough with your hand to release any air bubbles, and then pinch the edges of the dough to seal.

Roll dough back out to an 18-inch square, then repeat the same process above one more time.

For the last round, roll the dough to roughly 18-by-20-inch rectangle, with the shorter side facing you. Spread the remaining butter over the entire surface of the dough.

Using a spatula as an aid, lift the edge of dough closest to you and roll the dough away from you into a tight log, brushing the excess flour from the underside as you go. Trim the ends and cut the log in half. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap and chill overnight.

THE CUSTARD

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and 1/4 cup milk until smooth.

Add the sugar, cinnamon stick, and water into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Teresa knew when this was done by looking at it but thankfully my neighbor had a had a candy thermometer and mentioned it was around 104°C (220 Fahrenheit). Do not stir.

In another small saucepan, scald the remaining 1 cup milk. Whisk the hot milk into the flour mixture.

Remove the cinnamon stick and then pour the sugar syrup in a thin stream into the hot milk-and-flour mixture, whisking briskly. Add the vanilla and stir for a minute until very warm but not hot. Whisk in the yolks.

Strain the mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside. The custard will be on the thin side which is how you want it.

BAKE THE PASTRIES. * We made the batch using a mini muffin tin. Adjust if using a larger tin.

Pre-heat the oven to 550°F Yes, that hot. Remove the pastry and roll it back and forth on a lightly floured surface until it's about an inch in diameter which will make it around 14 - 16 inches long. Cut it into slightly less than 1 inch pieces. Butter the muffin tins. Place 1 piece pastry dough, into each muffing well. Let the dough sit and soften a bit.

Have a small bowl of water at hand. Dip your thumbs in the water, then right down the middle of the dough spiral. Flatten it against the bottom of the cup to a fairly thin size, then smooth the dough up the sides and create a raised lip just above the pan. The pastry bottoms will be thinner than the tops.

Fill each cup 3/4 full with the custard. Bake the pastries until the edges of the dough are frilled and brown, about 8 to 9 minutes for the mini-muffin tins, 15 to 17 minutes for large muffin tins.

Remove from the oven and allow the pasteis to cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a rack and cool until just warm. Sprinkle generously with confectioners' sugar, then cinnamon and serve.

They are much better if eaten the day they are made but we doubt you will have any left.