Portuguese Custard Tartlets

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These traditional Portuguese pastries by Chef Emeril Lagasse are little bites of creamy, flaky, buttery goodness.

Southern Living Portuguese Custard Tartlets
Photo:

Cedric Angeles; Food Stylist: Charlotte Martory; Prop Stylist: Pepper Hebert

Active Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
1 hr 30 mins
Servings:
18

"All I can say is 'Yum!' I learned how to make these tartlets at my first job at a Portuguese bakery in my hometown. They are very popular, and I can’t go long without a fix. They are simple to make at home—particularly when you use frozen puff pastry—and oh-so good. The filling is almost like a pudding," says Chef Emeril Lagasse.

Portuguese custard tarts (or pasteis de nata, as they are called in their home country of Portugal) are known for their signature flaky crust and sweet custard filling, which is creamy and delicately spiced using ingredients including egg yolks, orange zest, and vanilla bean.

Emeril Lagasse shares his recipe for classic miniature custard tartlets, showcasing how to make them from scratch and perfectly mastering their deliciously caramelized tops and flaky, buttery puff pastry. Serve them as a perfect dessert bite, or with coffee and tea for a breakfast treat or mid-afternoon pick-me-up.

Since store-bought puff pastry varies in size and number of sheets per package, if buying a brand other than Dufour, be sure to purchase at least 28 ounces total to yield enough crusts for this recipe, using as many sheets as needed.

Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter, softened

  • All-purpose flour, for work surface

  • 2 (14-oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry (such as Dufour), thawed

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

  • 1/4 tsp. finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)

  • 1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and seeds scraped

  • 6 large egg yolks

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

  • Powdered sugar

Directions

  1. Lightly grease 18 wells of a standard-size muffin tray with butter. On a lightly floured work surface, roll 1 puff pastry sheet into a 15-inch square (about 1/8 inch thick). Using a 5-inch round cookie cutter (or cutting around a 5-inch-diameter bowl), cut out 9 pastry rounds (the number of rounds per sheet may vary according to brand). Repeat with remaining puff pastry sheet. Tuck puff pastry rounds into prepared muffin wells; cover with plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 1 day.

  2. Heat heavy cream, orange zest, and vanilla bean and scraped seeds in a small saucepan over medium; bring just to a boil. Immediately remove from heat; cover with lid. Set aside, and let steep for 30 minutes.

  3. Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch until thickened and pale yellow. Gradually add steeped cream, whisking constantly. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids. Set custard filling aside.

  4. Place paper liners inside each pastry-lined muffin well. Add pie weights or dried beans to liners; bake in preheated oven until pastry is set around edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven; carefully remove paper liners and pie weights from muffin tray, and return tray to oven. Bake at 425°F until bottoms of pastry become opaque and slightly firm, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oven, and reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

  5. Divide custard filling evenly among pastry shells (about 2 1/2 tablespoons per shell). Bake until lightly golden and custard is set, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool in muffin tray 5 minutes. Transfer pastry shells to wire racks, and let cool 5 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve warm or at room temperature. Tartlets may be made up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Credit

Recipe courtesy of Chef Emeril Lagasse, from Essential Emeril: Favorite Recipes and Hard-Won Wisdom from My Life in the Kitchen, Oxmoor House Publisher, 2015

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