EASY PASTEIS DE NATA
MAKES ABOUT 12 TARTLETS / PREPARATION: 30 MINS / COOKING: 35-40 MINS
PASTRY
45ml (3T) sugar 5ml (1t) ground cinnamon flour, for dusting 1 roll (400g) puff pastry
30ml (2T) butter, melted
FILLING
310ml (1¼c) milk 1 cinnamon stick grated zest of 1 lemon (optional) 60ml (¼c) cake flour pinch of salt
3 egg yolks, whisked
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a muffin pan well with nonstick spray.
1 Pastry Mix the sugar and cinnamon.
2 On a flour-strewn surface, roll out the dough. Brush with the butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over. Roll up the pastry like a Swiss roll and pinch the seam to seal. Cut into 12 slices.
3 Put one slice in each of the prepared muffin pan hollows. Press to flatten slightly so that it lines the bottom and comes halfway up the sides of each hollow. Chill in the fridge until needed. 4 Filling Pour 250ml (1c) of the milk into a small saucepan. Add the cinnamon stick and lemon zest (if using) and heat until the milk starts to steam. Remove the cinnamon.
5 Mix the rest of the milk with the flour and add to the saucepan of flavoured milk.
Whisk over low heat until the mixture begins to simmer. 6 Stir continuously until the mixture starts to thicken, then simmer for 2-3 minutes and add the salt. Remove from the heat and rapidly whisk in the egg yolks. 7 Divide the filling among the pastry shells and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and done. 8 Increase the oven temperature to 230°C and bake for another 1-2 minutes or until the filling is lightly charred or golden brown. 9 Cool in the baking tin for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges gently and unmould the tartlets. Transfer to a wire rack to cool further.
10 Serve them lukewarm or at room temperature.