Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe - Pasteis de Belem

 

Ingredients

Filling:1/2 cup of water1 and 1/2 cups of sugar2 tablespoons of flour2 cups of milk7 egg yolks2 eggs1 lemon peelPastry:3 and 1/2 cups of flour (400gr)1 and 1/4 cups of water1 and 1/2 cups of butter1 pinch of salt

Directions

Pastry:

1. Mix all the ingredients (except for the butter) the butter is added later. 
2. Make a ball of dough, cut it in the shape of a cross on top, cover and let it stand 10 minutes.
3. In the meantime, place the butter on parchment paper and beat it with a rolling pin so that it has the same touch consistency as the dough.
4. After 10 minutes, stretch the dough as much as you can with a rolling pin. Place the butter in the center and fold the dough over the butter.
5. Stretch the dough again and fold it in 3.
6. Turn it over and repeat the stretching process.
7. At the end, brush the dough with water and form a roll where you will cut pieces of the dough about 1cm each and put them in the tart forms, spreading it through the center until they cover each cup.

 

Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 215ºC or 425ºF.
2. Boil the milk with the lemon peel.
3. Remove a little of the milk and dissolve the flour. 
4. Beat the yolks and the whole eggs without foaming it.
5. Then add the boiled milk and the flour dissolved in milk (make sure to remove the lemon peel). 
6. In a pan put the sugar and water, bring to a boil and then add to the previous preparation and stir. 
7. Fill the cups up 3/4 of the way (if you fill them too much, it will spill over and not cook properly). 
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 215ºC or 425ºF.
9. Unmold the tarts when you remove them from the oven.

Recipe Credit: soniameirinho1988.blogspot.pt *

Photo Credit: postcity.com