Pastéis de nata

🥘 Ingredients

• Tourage butter 250 g
• flour 375 g
• fine sea salt 4 g
• water 200 ml
• milk 400 ml
• sugar 500 g
• water 250 ml
• lemon peel 1
• cinnamon stick 1
• T55 plain flour 100 g
• milk 100 ml
• egg yolks 8

Crust

1. 1

   Place Tourage butter between two sheets of parchment paper. Then, using a rolling pin , roll it out into a thin block. Store the butter block in the freezer for at least 1 hour .
2. 2

   Mix flour and fine sea salt , add water until the dough is smooth and uniform.
3. 3

   Leave on a floured countertop, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 10 minutes .
4. 4

   Next roll out the dough until it’s twice the size of the butter block. Place the butter in the center of the dough and fold the edges around it so the butter is completely covered. Using a rolling pin , smooth out the dough with the butter inside, rolling it out without tearing. Fold it once and leave it to rest for 10 minutes .
5. 5

   Roll out the dough and fold it once again. Leave it to rest for another 10 minutes .
6. 6

   Spread out the dough to a thickness of 1 cm. Sprinkle or brush with water and roll it tightly. Place the dough roll on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before use.
7. 7

   When lining the molds, remove the roll from the refrigerator and let it come slightly to room temperature. Stretch the roll a little with your hands until its diameter is slightly smaller than the base of the molds you will use for the pastéis, then cut it into slices about 2 cm wide, depending on the size of the molds.
8. 8

   Place one slice of dough into each mold, with the cut side facing up.
9. 9

   With your thumbs moistened with water, make a depression in the center of the dough taking care not to tear through to the bottom, then pull the edges of the dough upward while rotating the mold. Keep stretching and rotating and until the mold is fully lined and there is a rim of dough all around the upper edge of the mold.
10. 10

    Cover the molds with plastic wrap, and let them sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours .

Filling

1. 1

   Pour milk into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. 2

   In another saucepan, add sugar , water , lemon peel and cinnamon stick , and boil for 3 minutes until it reaches thread stage (106°C). Remove from the heat and measure out exactly 500 ml.
3. 3

   In a bowl, mix T55 plain flour with milk , whisking well until dissolved and forming a paste. Make sure it’s not too thick, or it will not work.
4. 4

   Add a little boiling milk to make the paste more fluid, then add the remaining milk, stirring constantly to combine well and prevent the flour from clumping.
5. 5

   Gradually add the 500 ml of sugar syrup, stirring constantly until fully incorporated.
6. 6

   Allow it to cool, stirring occasionally with a whisk.
7. 7

   Once cooled, add the egg yolks , mix well, and strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve .

Baking

1. 1

   Preheat the oven for 1 hour to 300°C.
2. 2

   Place the pastry molds lined with puff pastry on a baking tray, spaced apart, and fill carefully without spilling, using a measuring cup or funnel, leaving only a small rim without custard.
3. 3

   Place the tray directly on the oven floor or on the lowest rack, as quickly as possible to avoid heat loss. When the custard starts to caramelize, rotate the tray and move it to the middle rack. Baking should take 10-12 minutes .
4. 4

   Remove the tray from the oven and immediately sprinkle with cold water using a spray bottle. Let cool slightly and unmold.
5. 5

   Serve the custard tarts warm or cold, plain or dusted with ground cinnamon.