Wintertime is also baking time in Berlin. But it’s not just Christmas cookies like gingerbread that are easy to make yourself to while away the dark hours. Why not try something a little more unusual? Pastéis de Nata are much more than just a pastry, they are a culinary symbol of Portugal. The combination of the sweetness of the cream, the crispy, salty pastry and a light hint of lemon or cinnamon makes these little tarts irresistible.
Where do pastéis de nata come from?
The pastries actually have a fascinating history, which explains their popularity today. They were invented before the 18th century by Catholic nuns and monks in the Jerónimos monastery in Santa Maria de Belém (Lisbon).
The nuns used egg whites to starch their clothes. The leftover egg yolk was traditionally used in the Portuguese monastery kitchen for desserts. This necessity ultimately turned into a delicacy!
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. All others outside this bakery have to call themselves Pastéis de Nata.
So much for the history of these little tarts – now it’s time to get to work yourself.
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
Prepare the dough
Mix the sugar, water and lemon zest (or cinnamon stick) in a pan and simmer over a medium heat for approx. 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 still warm (but no longer boiling) pudding. Important: Stir well immediately so that the egg yolks do not set. Pour the mixture through a sieve if there are any lumps.
The final trick
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.
Baking and serving
And last but not least: 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.