portuguese custard tarts

I just love these custard tarts, or better know as Pasteis de nata! 

One of my favourite coffee shops, Vida e makes them... I ate one and just had to try them myself! So I researched a few recipes and combined a few of them.  And even if I have to say somy self, these are good, and maybe even better :-)

This recipe makes about 12 tarts depending on the size of your pans

What you need:

50ml cake flour

200ml sugar

3 egg yolks

1egg

300ml milk

1t lemon rind shavings

Pre-heat the oven to 250°C (or the maximum your oven can go)

• Sift the flour and sugar together
• Lightly beat together the egg yolks and whole egg
• Put the milk and the lemon rind in saucepan and gradually bring to the boil ( when done remove the lemon rind)
• Pour half of the boiling milk over the flour and sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth, then add this mixture to the remaining milk.
• Pour a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture onto the beaten egg and stir well. Then pour the egg into the flour and sugar mixture, stirring constantly until completely mixed. Now the custard is done and your should leave it to cool down for at least a hour or more. 
• While the mixture cools down you can prepare the pastry cases.
• Flatten the puff pastry slightly with a rolling pin and cut out into discs to fit the muffin pan that you are using
• Press the disc into the pan
• Pour the custard into the pastry cases, leaving about a centimetre between the custard and the rim of the pastry
• Bake 8-12 minutes or until the pastry edges start to brown. You should get brown spots on the custard, but if you don’t, don’t worry. 
• Once you have removed the tarts from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, then remove them from their pans, and place them on a rack to cool. 

Next you need to make a steaming cappuccino and enjoy!