It’s becoming increasingly obvious: winter is here in Munich. And even if that means a lot of cold, it also means it’s baking time. But it’s not just Christmas cookies such as gingerbread that are easy to make yourself and chase away the dark hours. Why not try something a little more unusual? Pastéis de Nata are a culinary symbol of Portugal and irresistible. The combination of the sweetness of the cream, the crispy, salty pastry and a light hint of lemon or cinnamon is what makes these little cakes so special.
Where do pastéis de nata come from?
The pastry actually has a fascinating history, which sets it apart from many other sweets. They were invented by Catholic nuns and monks in the Jerónimos monastery in Santa Maria de Belém near Lisbon. In the 18th century, they used egg whites to starch their clothes. The egg yolks were left over and as nothing was to be thrown away, they were used in the convent kitchen. This necessity inspired the workers to be quite creative: the result was a delicacy – pasteis de nata!
After the monasteries were closed in 1834, the monks sold the original recipe to a sugar factory. This factory then began producing the famous “Pastéis de Belém“, which are still sold in Lisbon today in the strictest secrecy of the original recipe. Everyone else outside this bakery has to call themselves Pastéis de Nata. Including us in Munich. And after so much history about these little tarts, it’s time to get to work ourselves.
Ingredients for approx. 12 pastéis de nata
For the pastry
- 1 roll of puff pastry (approx. 275 g)
- 180 g sugar
- 150 ml water
For the cream base
- 200 ml milk
- 15-20 g flour/starch
- 2 tsp lemon zest or cinnamon stick
- 4-6 egg yolks (size M)
- Optional: cinnamon and powdered sugar
Preparation: explained step by step
1. prepare the dough
Mix the sugar, water and lemon zest (or cinnamon stick) in a pan and simmer over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until a thin syrup forms. Important: Leave to cool.
Then mix the cornflour and flour with a little milk until lump-free. Add the rest of the milk, bring everything to the boil and allow to thicken while stirring until it is pudding-like. Then add the sugar syrup and slowly pour it into the hot pudding base, stirring constantly.
Then stir the egg yolk into the pudding while it is still warm but no longer boiling. Important: Stir well immediately so that the egg yolks do not set. Pour the mixture through a sieve if there are any lumps. This will make your result nice and fluffy.
2. shaping the tartlets
The authentic puff pastry base requires a little trick to get it just right. Roll out the puff pastry, sprinkle it with a little cinnamon and then roll it up from the short side into a roll. Then cut the dough roll into 12 equal slices.
Grease a muffin tin and place each pastry slice cut-side down in a well. Use your thumb or a small glass base to flatten these slices from the center and pull them up to the edges so that the pastry base and sides are thinly lined. Ideally, the dough should protrude slightly over the edge.
3. bake, serve and enjoy
And last but not least: Bake your tartlets. To do this, preheat the oven to an extremely high temperature (usually 220 °C to 250 °C top/bottom heat or 200 °C fan-assisted). The high heat is crucial for caramelization.
Fill the pastry cases with the cream to just below the rim. Then bake the tartlets for approx. 10 to 15 minutes. You can tell if they are done by the dark, caramelized spots on the surface of the filling.
They are ready, the perfect pastéis de nata! Sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and powdered sugar while lukewarm and then simply enjoy.