Macau Style Pasteis De Nata Egg Tarts Food

PASTEIS DE NATA (PORTUGUESE EGG CUSTARD TART)

Steps:

• Bring milk, sugar and cinnamon stick just to boil in medium saucepan on medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat, then remove and discard cinnamon stick.
• Add milk mixture to dry pudding mix in medium bowl; beat with whisk 2 min.
• Whisk egg yolks in separate medium bowl until blended. Gradually add 1 cup pudding mixture, mixing well after each addition. Add egg mixture to remaining pudding mixture; mix well.
• Heat oven to 450°F. Unfold 1 pastry sheet. Remove and discard papers. Refold pastry sheet along fold lines; place on lightly floured surface. Roll into 10x4-inch rectangle. Starting at one long side, tightly roll up pastry rectangle; cut into 12 slices. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet. Roll out each slice into 5-inch round.
• Spray 24 muffin pan cups with cooking spray; line with pastry rounds. Spoon pudding mixture evenly into pastry cups, adding about 2 Tbsp. pudding mixture to each cup.
• Bake 15 min. or until edges of pastry shells are golden brown. Cool 10 min. Remove filled pastry shells from muffin pans to wire racks; cool completely.

PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS (PASTEIS DE NATA)

Steps:

• Combine flour, salt, and cold water in a bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until dough just comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Dough should be sticky; adjust with more flour or water to achieve what's shown in the video.
• Transfer dough onto a well floured surface. Dust a little more flour over the top. Knead for a minute or two to form a round. Cover and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Roll dough into a square about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour as necessary; dough should still be sticky.
• Spread 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the square using a silicone spatula, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Flip the unbuttered side over the middle of the square and fold the opposite end over it like a letter. Straighten the edges as needed.
• Turn dough with a bench scraper to unstick it from the counter; dust with flour. Flip and sprinkle more flour on top. Roll dough into a 1/8-inch-thick rectangle, carefully stretching edges as needed. Spread another 1/3 of the butter over 2/3 of the dough. Fold into thirds. Transfer onto a lined baking sheet and freeze until butter is slightly chilled, about 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle dough with flour and roll into a square a little over 1/8 inch thick. Spread remaining butter over the dough, leaving a 1- to 1 1/2-inch border on the top edge. Dip your finger in water and lightly moisten the unbuttered edge. Roll dough into a log starting from the bottom edge. Dust with more flour and polish the ends as needed. Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
• Combine sugar, 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, cinnamon, and lemon zest in a pot. Boil over medium heat, without stirring, until syrup reaches 210 to 215 degrees F (100 degrees C). Remove from heat.
• Preheat oven 550 degrees F (288 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
• Whisk flour, salt, and cold milk together very thoroughly in a cold pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until milk thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
• Whisk egg yolks into the cooled milk. Add the sugar syrup and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Strain custard into a glass measuring cup.
• Unwrap the dough and trim any uneven bits on the ends. Score log into 12 even pieces using a knife; cut through.
• Place a piece of dough in each muffin cup. Dip your thumb lightly in some cold water. Press thumb into the center of the swirl; push dough against the bottom and up the sides of the cup until it reaches least 1/8 inch past the top. Fill each cup 3/4 of the way with custard.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the pastry is browned and bubbly, and the tops start to blister and caramelize, about 12 minutes. Cool tarts briefly and serve warm.

MACAU STYLE PASTEIS DE NATA (EGG TARTS)

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour and dry milk. Add the shortening, salt, the one whole egg, and water together and mix until it forms into a smooth ball. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• While the pastry is chilling, bring butter out to start warming to room temperature and boil the sugar and water to make a syrup. Cool and set aside. Cut the room temperature butter into very thin slices.
• When ready, roll dough out on a floured surface into a big rectangle and arrange butter pieces on one half of the dough. Fold dough over the butter pieces and press with hands to seal both pieces together. Using a rolling pin, roll as thin as you can. Sprinkle top with a little flour, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.
• Turn dough a quarter turn, fold into thirds and roll out again as thin as you can. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this four times.
• When you have completed the above four roll-outs, roll the dough for the last time into a large rectangle and fold onto itself like you would for making cinnamon rolls. Let the pastry rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• While the pastry is resting, combine the cream and the milk and bring to a boil. In a bowl, whisk the sugar with the egg yolks until the mixture is pale, about 2 minutes. Very slowly, pour the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Strain out any cooked egg pieces and set mixture aside.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F Butter and flour a twelve cup muffin pan.
• Cut twelve 1/2 inch thick slices from the rolled up dough (about 1 ounce each). Store the rest of the dough in refrigerator or freezer for later use.
• Wet your fingers with cold water and shape each slice into a disc big enough to line a muffin cup. Line the muffin cups and fill with egg mixture about 3/4 full (about 3 tbsp per muffin cup).
• Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes, until brown spots appear on the surface of the filling. Remove from oven and brush gently with syrup. Return to the oven until the top is caramelized. Cool slightly on rack.
• If you can, eat while hot.

PASTEIS DE NATA (CUSTARD TARTS)

Steps:

• Make the pastry.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse the flour, salt and sugar to combine.
• Add the butter and pulse until the flour resembles coarse, uneven cornmeal, about 10 1-second pulses.
• Drizzle 5 tablespoons of the ice water over the mixture.
• Pulse several times to work the water into the flour.
• Add the remaining water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue pulsing until the mixture develops small curds.
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface, shape it into a disc and cover with plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough to 1/16-inch thickness.
• Cut out 6 (4 1/2-inch) circles.
• (If you don't have a cookie cutter, a wide-mouth jar works well.) Ease the dough circles into a 12-cup (4-ounce capacity) nonstick muffin tin, pressing out any overlapping folds.
• Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Place the tin in the freezer for 5 minutes.
• Remove and trim any overhang with the back of a knife so that the pastry cups are flush with the top of the tins.
• Line dough cups with cupcake papers and fill with dried beans or pastry weights.
• Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 8 to 10 minutes to set.
• Make the custard.
• Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup of the cream in a medium bowl.
• Add the remaining cream and sugar, and stir until the mixture is smooth and the sugar dissolves.
• Check for sugar granules with a spoon; none should remain.
• In a small bowl, blend the yolks with a fork until smooth.
• Add the yolks to the cream mixture, stirring gently to combine.
• Ladle the egg mixture into the partially baked pastry cups, filling to 2/3 capacity.
• Bake in at 350°F (180°C) until the edges of the custard are puffed and middle is still jiggly, about 20 to 25 minutes.
• (The custard will continue to cook.) Cool completely in the tin.
• The pastéis are best when eaten the same day.