Recipe of the day: Portuguese custard tarts
Indulge in a touch of Portuguese delight with these mouthwatering custard tarts!
![Portuguese custard tarts](https://media.citizen.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Portuguese-custard-tarts-recipe.jpg)
Portuguese custard tarts. Picture: iStock
Imagine a golden, flaky puff pastry shell encasing a creamy, velvety custard that’s just the right balance of sweet and spiced.
With a prep time of just 30 minutes and a bake time of 45 minutes, these sweet treats are easy to make and cost under R10 each.
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Portuguese custard tarts
Ingredients
- 400 g roll puff pastry, defrosted
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar, sifted + extra
- 125 ml (½ cup) sugar
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) water
- 1 strip lemon peel
- 2.5 ml (½ tsp) ground cinnamon + extra
- 1 egg + 2 yolks
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) cornflour
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
- Pinch salt
Method
- Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease 10 holes of a standard cupcake tray with cooking spray.
- Roll the pastry open and dust all over with icing sugar. Cut the pastry into 10 x 11 cm circles. Reroll off-cuts and repeat.
- Press the pastry, icing sugar side down, into the greased holes to make cases. Refrigerate until needed.
- Heat the sugar, water, lemon peel and cinnamon on medium, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes or until a light golden syrup forms. Cool. Remove the lemon.
- Whisk together the egg, egg yolks and cornflour until smooth in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the milk in a medium saucepan to just before boiling point. Stir through the vanilla and salt. Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg mixture while stirring.
- Return the egg custard to the saucepan and cook, while stirring with a wooden spoon, on low heat for about 5 minutes or until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Take care not to let the mixture boil or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.
- Add the cooled sugar syrup to the custard and whisk until thickened slightly. Pour through a sieve.
- Pour into the pastry cases until almost filled to the rim and bake for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the custard has darkened in spots.
- Remove from the tray, with a knife, while still hot. Sift over extra icing sugar and ground cinnamon, if you like.
This recipe is courtesy of EGGcellentFood.
Portuguese custard tarts
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients
-
- 400 g roll puff pastry, defrosted
-
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar, sifted + extra
-
- 125 ml (½ cup) sugar
-
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) water
-
- 1 strip lemon peel
-
- 2.5 ml (½ tsp) ground cinnamon + extra
-
- 1 egg + 2 yolks
-
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) cornflour
-
- 250 ml (1 cup) milk
-
- 5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
-
- Pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease 10 holes of a standard cupcake tray with cooking spray.
- Roll the pastry open and dust all over with icing sugar. Cut the pastry into 10 x 11 cm circles. Reroll off-cuts and repeat.
- Press the pastry, icing sugar side down, into the greased holes to make cases. Refrigerate until needed.
- Heat the sugar, water, lemon peel and cinnamon on medium, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes or until a light golden syrup forms. Cool. Remove the lemon.
- Whisk together the egg, egg yolks and cornflour until smooth in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the milk in a medium saucepan to just before boiling point. Stir through the vanilla and salt. Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg mixture while stirring.
- Return the egg custard to the saucepan and cook, while stirring with a wooden spoon, on low heat for about 5 minutes or until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Take care not to let the mixture boil or you’ll end up with scrambled eggs.
- Add the cooled sugar syrup to the custard and whisk until thickened slightly. Pour through a sieve.
- Pour into the pastry cases until almost filled to the rim and bake for about 25 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the custard has darkened in spots.
- Remove from the tray, with a knife, while still hot. Sift over extra icing sugar and ground cinnamon, if you like.
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