A pastel de nata (plural pastéis de nata) – literally “cream pastry(s)” – is a typical Portuguese pastry. It is a kind of pastry flan, sometimes eaten warm.
For the record, it seems that the pastry was created in the 19th century by nuns from the Hieronymites monastery, located in the small town of Belém, now a district of Lisbon. In order to obtain resources to support their order, the nuns sold them in a small shop near the monastery.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 15 minutes at 400°F
Difficulty: easy
Yields: 12 flans
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Cook the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla.
2. Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl.
3. When the milk comes to the boil, remove the pan from the heat. Mix with the flour, sugar and salt.
4. Add 4 egg yolks and 1 whole egg, and the lemon juice. Mix everything together vigorously.
5. Roll out the puff pastry in the small muffin tins.
6. Using a tablespoon, pour the mixture into the moulds.
7. Bake at 400°F (200° C) for about 15 minutes, until the cream resembles a custard.
8. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon if desired.
Enjoy a delicious dessert, much better than a flan!
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