Portuguese Custard Tarts – The Hieronymites Got This Right

I’ve made custard tarts before, but never the world-famous Portuguese custard tarts, together with I’m thrilled to study the results were shockingly good. This actually was i of the best pastries I’ve always enjoyed, custard or otherwise. 

Which is a proficient thing, since they gain require a fight of get to produce. The recipe itself is simple, using but a few basic ingredients, but in that place are numerous steps, together with a sure enough total of finesse is required, but the results are hence worth it. After watching a few dozen videos on the technique, I decided to testify the curt cutting version first, which uses frozen store-bought puff pastry. The results were non good. Since puff pastry is leavened amongst yeast, together with contains hence many to a greater extent than layers of butter together with dough, my crust turned out likewise thick, together with gummy, together with wasn’t virtually every bit sparse together with crispy every bit it should’ve been. It may convey been my technique, but officially I’m blaming the dough.

So together with hence I attempted an “authentic” dough recipe from scratch, which was infinitely better. It’s a petty tricky to operate with, since the dough is rattling sticky, but I mean value that’s i of the keys here. Seems similar the extra wet inward the dough, which is activated yesteryear 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, together with nosotros fifty-fifty streamlined i of the steps. You’ll convey to determine whether you’re going to include lemon, cinnamon, together with vanilla, which are manifestly considered optional ingredients inward Portugal, but I actually bask the flavor, together with wouldn’t alter a thing. Regardless of what you lot determine to add, or non add together to yours, similar I said inward the video, these should endure on everyone’s baking bucket list. So, I actually gain promise you lot hand them a testify soon. Enjoy!

For the dough:

1 loving cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 loving cup mutual depression temperature water

Note: arrange amongst to a greater extent than flour or H2O to attain what’s shown inward the video

1 stick (4 ounces) rattling soft, high-quality unsalted butter

For the carbohydrate 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

- Bake tarts at 550 F. for 12 minutes or until the pastry is browned together with bubbly, together with the tops start to blister together with caramelize.

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