Portuguese Custard Tarts

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Portuguese Custard Tarts

I’ve made custard tarts before, but never the world-famous Portuguese custard tarts, as well as I’m thrilled to written report the results were shockingly good. This actually was 1 of the best pastries I’ve e’er enjoyed, custard or otherwise. 

Which is a skillful thing, since they hit require a fighting of crusade to produce. The recipe itself is simple, using only a few basic ingredients, but at that spot are numerous steps, as well as a for certain total of finesse is required, but the results are thence worth it. After watching a few dozen videos on the technique, I decided to evidence the curt cutting version first, which uses frozen store-bought puff pastry. The results were non good. Since puff pastry is leavened alongside yeast, as well as contains thence many to a greater extent than layers of butter as well as dough, my crust turned out also thick, as well as gummy, as well as wasn’t almost every bit sparse as well as crispy every bit it should’ve been. It may convey been my technique, but officially I’m blaming the dough.

So as well as then I attempted an “authentic” dough recipe from scratch, which was infinitely better. It’s a piddling tricky to operate with, since the dough is rattling sticky, but I mean value that’s 1 of the keys here. Seems similar the extra wet inwards the dough, which is activated past times the rattling hot oven, is what creates the signature flaky, crispy texture.

As far every bit the custard goes, it’s a relatively uncomplicated procedure, as well as nosotros fifty-fifty streamlined 1 of the steps. You’ll convey to create upwardly one’s heed whether you’re going to include lemon, cinnamon, as well as vanilla, which are evidently considered optional ingredients inwards Portugal, but I actually bask the flavor, as well as wouldn’t alter a thing. Regardless of what you lot create upwardly one’s heed to add, or non add together to yours, similar I said inwards the video, these should endure on everyone’s baking bucket list. So, I actually hit promise you lot hand them a evidence soon. Enjoy!
 
For the dough:
  • 1 loving cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/3 loving cup mutual frigidity water
  • Note: accommodate alongside to a greater extent than flour or H2O to attain what’s shown inwards the video
  • 1 stick (4 ounces) rattling soft, high-quality unsalted butter
For the saccharide syrup:
  • 3/4 loving cup white sugar
  • 1/4 loving cup addition 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/4 teaspoon ground)
  • zest from 1 lemon
For the custard base:
  • 1/3 loving cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups milk
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract