Portuguese-Style Egg Tarts of Macau
Local name: 葡撻
In short: Crisp, flaky pastry cups filled with a silky vanilla and lemon custard, baked hot until blistered and caramelized on top. It takes about 1 h 5 min in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Resting
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 5 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 250 kcal
Macau's egg tart is a small, warm custard tart with flaky pastry and a blistered, caramelized top. Bakers in Macau adapted the Portuguese pastel de nata and made it one of the city's best-known sweets. The custard is soft and just set, lightly scented with vanilla and lemon. A very hot oven gives the dark spots on top and keeps the pastry crisp.
Instructions
- Heat the milk, cream and lemon zest in a saucepan until steaming. Remove from the heat and discard the zest.
- Whisk the flour, sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until smooth. Pour in the hot milk gradually while whisking.
- Return the mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes until it thickens like a pourable custard. Stir in the vanilla and strain into a jug.
- Unroll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface, then roll it up tightly from the short side into a log and slice into 12 rounds. Place each cut side up in a muffin tin hole, and press with wet thumbs into a cup that reaches the top edge.
- Heat the oven to 250°C (480°F) with a rack in the upper third. Fill each cup three-quarters full with the custard.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the pastry is golden and the tops are blistered with dark brown spots.
- Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift out. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- If your oven does not reach 250°C (480°F), use the highest setting and bake a few minutes longer. A grill finish for 1 to 2 minutes gives the dark spots.
- Chill the pastry cups in the freezer for 10 minutes before filling to keep the layers flaky.
Questions and answers
How long do egg tarts keep?
They are best the day they are baked. Store in the refrigerator for 2 days and re-crisp at 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes.
Why does my custard curdle?
The heat was too high or the custard was not stirred. Cook on low heat while stirring constantly and strain it before filling.
Can I make them with shortcrust pastry?
Yes, a shortcrust base gives a sturdier, biscuit-like tart. Use the same custard and bake at 220°C (425°F) for 20 minutes.
How long does it take to make Portuguese-Style Egg Tarts of Macau?
About 1 h 5 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 25 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Portuguese-Style Egg Tarts of Macau?
About 250 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 23 g of carbohydrates and 15 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 250 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 23 g |
| Fat | 15 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 10 g |
| Sodium | 130 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
