A very gourmet pastry, emblem of Portugal: Pasteis de nata! Small flans with lightly caramelized eggs with their crispy puff pastry. Inside, a touch of lemon, cinnamon and vanilla give them this unique flavor, which takes us on a trip to Lisbon...
What you will like with these pasteis de nata
- flavors : the sweetness of a lightly caramelized egg flan, with a touch of vanilla, lemon and cinnamon, on a pure butter puff pastry…
- Texture : crispy thanks to the puff pastry which rises in the oven and melts with this egg flan…
- Difficulty level : it's rather simple to make, like a classic flan. You will need to plan a kitchen thermometer and if you want a result as close as possible to the Portuguese recipe, you will need pasteis de nata molds (failing that, a muffin tin of the same size).
How to make pasteis de nata at home?
- Roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle
- Roll the dough into a sausage shape and cut small pieces of dough
- Darken the dough in each pasteis de nata mold
- Make a Sugar Syrup adding lemon peel and cinnamon stick
- Whisk flour and milk then heat the mixture
- Drizzle the syrup and cool down
- Incorporate the egg yolks and vanilla then fill the molds
- Bake! And taste your pasteis de nata…
NB: the detailed recipe with the ingredients is given to you at the bottom of the page.
My tips for a successful pasteis
- take the time to darken the dough well in your molds : little by little with the thumbs, we stretch the dough from the center to the edges of the mold. It becomes quite thin but it will still swell during cooking.
- to take the lemon peel : use a knife to cut a nice ribbon all around the lemon. Then, with the knife, remove the underside of the bark which is white and very bitter.
- when pouring the batter into the molds with pasteis de nata : do not fill to the brim, but leave a slight space at the very top because the filling will swell during cooking.
How are pasteis de nata eaten?
The pasteis de nata can be eaten warm after coming out of the oven or cold. They can be eaten plain or sprinkled with cinnamon (as in Lisbon).
If desired, they can also be coated lightly with a syrup, made up of half powdered sugar and half water, which is brought to a boil before use.
Can pasteis de nata be kept?
As it is puff pastry, be aware that pasteis de nata are better on D-Day when they have just been baked. Their base is very crispy, and their heart very melting.
Nevertheless, you can keep them without problem at room temperature 1 or 2 days, or in the refrigerator. To restore their smoothness and crispness for tasting, just put them back in the oven a little bit.
Other recipes to try
If you like gourmet desserts like this, then I advise you to take a look at these other recipes from the blog:
If you make these pasteis de nata, feel free to rate the recipe below and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your lovely homemade pasteis!
Pasteis de Nata, The Traditional Recipe
Ingredients:
Pasteis De Nata
- 1 all-butter rectangular puff pastry
- 310 g semi-skimmed milk
- 35 g flour
- 200 g Granulated sugar
- 135 g water
- 1 organic yellow lemon
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 5 egg yolks
- 0,5 cc natural vanilla extract
Décor
- Cinnamon powder optional
- or Syrup topping: 40g water + 40g powdered sugar optional
Preparation:
- Roll out the dough or unroll it on baking paper to obtain a 36 x 30 cm rectangle. Lengthwise, roll the dough on itself into a tight sausage. Just before reaching the end, coat the remaining edge with water with a brush, then finish the roll of dough.
- With a good knife, remove the uneven ends then cut logs 3cm wide. Place each log cut side up in 8cm diameter pasteis de nata molds (see my equipment above) or, failing that, in muffin molds.
- To spread the dough in each mold, crush the heart of the log with both thumbs then spread outwards little by little by rotating the mold. It is important not to puncture the dough. Place the filled mussels on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Wash the organic lemon and remove its rind (without the white part below) in a wide ribbon.
- In a saucepan, bring the powdered sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon peel to the boil, until it reaches 106°, this takes several minutes.
- In another saucepan, pour the flour and 100g of cold milk. Whisk vigorously to avoid any lumps. Pour in the rest of the milk then heat over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Then pour into a salad bowl.
- Pass the sugar syrup through a sieve to remove the bark and the cinnamon stick then pour this syrup in several times into the flour mixture, whisking well between each addition. Leave to cool to around 37°.
- Preheat the oven to 250 ° traditional heat.
- Incorporate the egg yolks and vanilla, whisking the mixture little by little so that it is homogeneous and without lumps. Pour the batter into a container with a spout (easier to fill the moulds).
- Fill each mold with the preparation, making sure to leave a small empty space at the top. When the oven is hot, bake for 15 to 16 minutes. The pasteis de nata should visibly swell and take on their characteristic hue.
- Take out of the oven, 3 options: taste them plain warm or cold, or sprinkled with a little cinnamon like in Lisbon, or coated with a sugar syrup (to do this: bring sugar and water to the boil), know that this 3rd option is the sweetest.
Christine
Tested this weekend and totally validated! They really look like those tasted in Lisbon
I made them using my homemade puff pastry
A delight
Lilie bakery
Thank you Christine! I'm really happy that you like these pasteis de nata! See you soon :)
Sandigliane
Hello !
Thanks for the recipe ! Should we butter the molds?
thank you in advance
Lilie bakery
Hello Sandigliane, no it is not necessary to butter them knowing that the dough already contains a lot of butter. See you soon :)