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Pastel de Nata Revisité 2026

Revisited version of the traditional Portuguese custard tart with 4 lamination turns instead of 6, maintaining the distinctive flaky texture and cinnamon-infused custard cream while simplifying the preparation technique.
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Temps de préparation 1 heure 30 minutes
Temps de cuisson 25 minutes
resting time between turns 1 heure
Temps total 2 heures 55 minutes
Portions: 12 pastries
Type de plat: Pâtisseries
Ingrédients Ustensiles Etapes Notes

Ingrédients
  

For the inverted puff pastry
  • 150 g butter cold, diced
  • 200 g all-purpose flour
  • 100 ml cold water
  • 5 g salt
  • 100 g butter for lamination, softened to room temperature
For the custard cream
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 200 ml whole milk
  • 15 g cornstarch replaces heavier flour binder
  • 1.5 c. à café ground cinnamon essential flavour marker
  • 0.5 c. à café vanilla extract
For finishing
  • 1 c. à soupe caster sugar for dusting before baking
  • 0.5 c. à café ground cinnamon for dusting before baking

Ustensiles

  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 1 pastry brush
  • 1 muffin tin 12-cup capacity
  • 1 saucepan for custard cream
  • 1 whisk
  • 1 oven preheated to 220°C

Etapes
 

Prepare the inverted puff pastry dough
  1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add cold diced butter and rub with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
  2. Add cold water gradually, mixing gently until a rough dough forms. Do not overwork.
  3. Wrap dough in cling film and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
Execute the 4 lamination turns
  1. Roll out dough into a rectangle approximately 20 × 30 cm. Spread softened butter over two-thirds of the dough surface, leaving a margin at the edges.
  2. Fold the unbuttered third toward the centre, then fold the other buttered third over it (letter fold). Rotate 90 degrees.
  3. This completes Turn 1. Wrap and rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
  4. Repeat the rolling, folding, and rotation process 3 more times (Turns 2, 3, and 4), resting the dough for 15 minutes at room temperature between each turn. Before laminating, the dough should feel firm and have a slightly golden sheen on the surface from the rising butter.
Prepare the custard cream
  1. Whisk egg yolks with caster sugar until pale and ribbon-like, approximately 3 minutes.
  2. Heat milk in a saucepan until steaming (do not boil). Slowly pour into the egg mixture while whisking constantly.
  3. Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of cold water, then whisk into the warm custard. Return to the pan over low heat.
  4. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until the custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir in ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Shape and bake
  1. Preheat oven to 220°C. On a lightly floured surface, roll the final laminated dough to approximately 3 mm thickness.
  2. Cut the dough into 12 squares (approximately 8 × 8 cm each). Press each square gently into a muffin cup, allowing it to form the base and sides of the pastry.
  3. Divide the cooled custard cream evenly among the 12 pastry cups, filling each to approximately two-thirds full.
  4. Combine caster sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Lightly dust the surface of each pastry before baking.
  5. Bake at 220°C for 25 minutes until the pastry edges are deeply golden and the custard shows light caramelisation marks on top.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Serve at room temperature.

Notes

This revisited version uses 4 lamination turns instead of the traditional 6 to simplify preparation while preserving the distinctive flaky structure. The laminate rests 15 minutes at room temperature between each turn—adequate relaxation time is critical when reducing turn count. The custard employs cornstarch rather than flour as a binder, which produces a lighter texture without altering the essential flavour profile. Cinnamon remains non-negotiable as a structural element of the taste identity. The dough must reach a firm, slightly golden state before baking; this signals proper butter integration and lamination success. The 220°C baking temperature is essential to achieve the characteristic caramelisation on the custard surface.