Four Pastel De Natas Recipe

Prepare tins and pastry

Preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F) / 240°C (465°F) fan. Lightly butter four 7–8 cm (2.75–3.25 in) tartlet tins or a standard muffin tin with the unsalted butter. Keep the puff pastry chilled until ready to roll.

Shape pastry shells

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled puff pastry to a rectangle about 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. Cut into four roughly 10 x 10 cm squares. For each square: roll from one corner to the opposite corner into a tight log, then cut each log into two equal pieces to produce a spiral. Press each spiral flat in your hand and press into the prepared tartlet tin, smoothing and forming a well with slightly thicker outer edge to create a crisp, flaky shell. Chill the lined tins in the fridge while you make the custard (10–15 minutes).

Make sugar syrup

In a small saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and cold water. Stir gently just to moisten the sugar, then place over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil without stirring and let simmer 1–2 minutes until sugar is fully dissolved and the syrup looks clear. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mix dry thickener

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with about 2 tablespoons (≈30 ml) of the milk to make a smooth slurry without lumps.

Infuse milk and cream

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds into a saucepan (or add 1 tsp vanilla extract if using). Add the pod and pour in the remaining milk and the cream. Warm gently over medium heat until it just begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edge—do not boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit 5 minutes to infuse. If using a pod, remove and discard the empty pod before proceeding.

Combine and thicken

Return the infused milk mixture to medium heat. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the warm milk. Add the reserved sugar syrup and the salt while whisking continuously. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens noticeably and coats the back of a spoon (about 2–4 minutes). Remove from heat.

Temper egg yolks

Place the egg yolks in a bowl and whisk lightly. Temper the yolks by adding a few tablespoons of the hot custard into the yolks while whisking vigorously to prevent curdling. Then slowly whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining custard. Return to low heat and stir for 30–60 seconds more until silky and slightly thicker. Do not boil. Taste and adjust for sweetness if needed.

Cool briefly

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to ensure smoothness. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and let it cool until slightly warm (about 10 minutes). The custard should be pourable but not hot.

Fill shells

Remove the chilled pastry-lined tins from the fridge. Pour the warm custard into each shell, filling about 3/4 to just below the rim (the custard will puff slightly while baking). Wipe any spills on the tins to avoid burning.

Bake

Place the filled tins on a baking sheet and bake at 250°C (480°F) for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 200°C (390°F) and continue baking for another 6–10 minutes, or until the pastry is deeply golden and the custard has blistered and developed characteristic browned spots on top. Total bake time ~16–20 minutes; ovens vary—watch closely so they do not burn.

Finish

Remove tarts from the oven and let cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Lightly dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve warm or at room temperature. Pastéis de nata are best eaten the day they are made.