So you may be thinking, ‘what the heck is a pastel de nata?!’ …. well, let me tell you now, it is a super delicious puff pastry encased custard tart, that is what it is! I first discovered these on my trip to Portugal as seen in this taste testing video and was determined to try and make my own from home. This tastes pretty much identical to the ones I had over there and I really hope you try it!
Lightly grease a cupcake tin with butter, this makes about 6 pastel de nata.
Roll out a sheet of puff pastry, sprinkle the icing sugar on top and fold over, rolling out again to encase the sugar in the pastry, then cut into 6 large circles. Line the cupcake tin with each one ensuring they cover the sides fully. Leave to one side and pre-heat your oven to gas mark 5 or equivalent see cooking conversion charts.
In a saucepan pour in the milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cornflour and grate in about 1/2tsp nutmeg. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon over a medium heat, at first it will feel like nothing is happening and then boom, it will thicken to a glue paste like texture. Keep mixing though or it will not be smooth. Remove from the heat.
In another bowl, add 6 egg yolks, whisk them lightly and start to pour in the thickened sugar mixture. Pour this in batches into the egg yolk, and whisk until smooth. Pour the mix into all 6 cases about 2/3rds of the way up and bake in the oven for 25 minutes until browned. They will rise slightly, allow them to cool and they will shrink back. Chill and serve!