Comments on: Pastéis de Nata I | Portuguese Custard Tarts http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed Recipes, Food, and Cooking Blog Thu, 24 May 2012 20:24:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: David Leite http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-60920 David Leite Mon, 21 May 2012 14:30:02 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-60920 Hi Hildegard, my gut says no. I've never tried it because I think the texture of the custard and the integrity of the pastry would suffer. My suggestion? Make a batch of the custard and dough. (Both can stay in the fridge for up to a week.) Make just a few pastries, let them cool, them freeze them. Defrost and reheat and decide if they work for you. (Sorry for the noncommittal answer, but I would hate to say yes and then you find out the day of the fair, they don't taste good.) Hi Hildegard, my gut says no. I’ve never tried it because I think the texture of the custard and the integrity of the pastry would suffer. My suggestion? Make a batch of the custard and dough. (Both can stay in the fridge for up to a week.) Make just a few pastries, let them cool, them freeze them. Defrost and reheat and decide if they work for you. (Sorry for the noncommittal answer, but I would hate to say yes and then you find out the day of the fair, they don’t taste good.)

]]> By: Hildegard Jensen http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-60919 Hildegard Jensen Mon, 21 May 2012 12:52:24 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-60919 Hi I just wanted to know if one can freeze the Pasteis de Nata once they are baked and the just defrost and reheat them a little on another day. We wanted to make them for a school fair and obviously needed to many to bake on the same or even two days. Thank you. Hi
I just wanted to know if one can freeze the Pasteis de Nata once they are baked and the just defrost and reheat them a little on another day. We wanted to make them for a school fair and obviously needed to many to bake on the same or even two days. Thank you.

]]> By: David Leite http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-59243 David Leite Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:58:22 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-59243 Hello, Regina. Sorry to hear the filling was runny. I wouldn't change or substitute anything, as baking is chemistry and all the ingredients work together to make the filling the right consistency. First make sure you're using the right type of milk, the exact amount and right type of flour, and the right size eggs. These all contribute to the thickening of the filling. I would also use the dough specified in the recipe. All of these substitutions have an effect on the final product. Second, I would also make sure to use a correctly calibrated thermometer. Different reactions happen at different temperatures, and if you haven't gotten the mixture up to the right temperature (or over shot it), that could also affect the results. Third, keeping the pastries in longer is fine, but it may take longer than just a few minutes. To find out the perfect timing: follow the recipe exactly using all the proper and called-for equipment then bake a batch, removing a tart every minute or so after the full baking time. (So you'd have a pastry removed at 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, etc. minutes) Let them sit until slightly warm. This will tell you precisely at what time the pastries are done for your oven, since it can't reach 550°. Hope this helps. Hello, Regina. Sorry to hear the filling was runny. I wouldn’t change or substitute anything, as baking is chemistry and all the ingredients work together to make the filling the right consistency.

First make sure you’re using the right type of milk, the exact amount and right type of flour, and the right size eggs. These all contribute to the thickening of the filling. I would also use the dough specified in the recipe. All of these substitutions have an effect on the final product.

Second, I would also make sure to use a correctly calibrated thermometer. Different reactions happen at different temperatures, and if you haven’t gotten the mixture up to the right temperature (or over shot it), that could also affect the results.

Third, keeping the pastries in longer is fine, but it may take longer than just a few minutes. To find out the perfect timing: follow the recipe exactly using all the proper and called-for equipment then bake a batch, removing a tart every minute or so after the full baking time. (So you’d have a pastry removed at 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, etc. minutes) Let them sit until slightly warm. This will tell you precisely at what time the pastries are done for your oven, since it can’t reach 550°.

Hope this helps.

]]> By: regina goncalves http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-58919 regina goncalves Sat, 28 Apr 2012 05:20:45 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-58919 Hi David. I love your blog. I have made your almond torte and absolutely loved it. I have made it twice and it was a hit with everyone. Now this is my second time making the pastéis. The fist time i made it with 2% cuz it was all i had, plus a little heavy cream for a thicker consistency. they came out tasting great just a little too runny so this time i made it with whole milk and they are still not how they should be. i really would like to master this. what am i doing wrong? 1. should i reduce the water for the syrup and just make it 1/3 water? or 2. should i use cream instead of milk? My oven only heats up to 500 degrees so i leave them in there for a few more minutes. Also, i am using phylo for the cups. i will finally concur my fears and make the dough as soon as i master the custard part first. Thanks, Regina Goncalves From New Jersey Hi David. I love your blog. I have made your almond torte and absolutely loved it. I have made it twice and it was a hit with everyone.

Now this is my second time making the pastéis. The fist time i made it with 2% cuz it was all i had, plus a little heavy cream for a thicker consistency. they came out tasting great just a little too runny so this time i made it with whole milk and they are still not how they should be. i really would like to master this. what am i doing wrong?

1. should i reduce the water for the syrup and just make it 1/3 water?

or

2. should i use cream instead of milk?

My oven only heats up to 500 degrees so i leave them in there for a few more minutes. Also, i am using phylo for the cups. i will finally concur my fears and make the dough as soon as i master the custard part first.

Thanks,

Regina Goncalves
From New Jersey

]]> By: David Leite http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-56843 David Leite Sat, 14 Apr 2012 22:47:45 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-56843 Not from the recipe from the Monastery of Jeronimos! My guess--and I can't confirm this with anyone at the confeitaria--is that it was a 20th-century tweak. It's called <em>margarina para folhados</em>, which is, apparently, different from <em>margarina para bolos</em>, etc. Not from the recipe from the Monastery of Jeronimos! My guess–and I can’t confirm this with anyone at the confeitaria–is that it was a 20th-century tweak. It’s called margarina para folhados, which is, apparently, different from margarina para bolos, etc.

]]> By: Peter Pienkowski http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-56822 Peter Pienkowski Sat, 14 Apr 2012 16:57:41 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-56822 Well, if they're using margarine (invented circa 1870), then they are certainly not sticking to the original 1837 recipe ;) Well, if they’re using margarine (invented circa 1870), then they are certainly not sticking to the original 1837 recipe ;)

]]> By: David Leite http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-56819 David Leite Sat, 14 Apr 2012 15:20:10 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-56819 I can say for sure that it's not leaf lard or regular lard. It's actually a margarine-like product. It's very yellow. My guess is it's a combination of butter and some form of hydrogenated fat. I can say for sure that it’s not leaf lard or regular lard. It’s actually a margarine-like product. It’s very yellow. My guess is it’s a combination of butter and some form of hydrogenated fat.

]]> By: Peter http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-56818 Peter Sat, 14 Apr 2012 14:50:23 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-56818 Yeh, the nubs vary a bit depending in width depending on the roll, but usually with my mini cupcake pan it's 1/2''-3/4'' thick. About the mixing the fat--I bet they don't use butter at all, but rather leaf grade lard (or a mixture of the two as you say). I've never worked with leaf lard or even seen the correct cuts of fat to render into leaf lard (it comes from around the kidneys, not the fat back from above the shoulders), but it is supposedly the holy grail of pastry cooking fats. You often hear chefs in the States talking up European butters, especially for puff pastry, because it contains less water and more fat than American butters. I don't know why exactly leaf lard is supposed to produce such flaky pie crusts and shatter-tastic croissants, but it's probably got to do with its even higher fat and lower water content. Yeh, the nubs vary a bit depending in width depending on the roll, but usually with my mini cupcake pan it’s 1/2”-3/4” thick.

About the mixing the fat–I bet they don’t use butter at all, but rather leaf grade lard (or a mixture of the two as you say). I’ve never worked with leaf lard or even seen the correct cuts of fat to render into leaf lard (it comes from around the kidneys, not the fat back from above the shoulders), but it is supposedly the holy grail of pastry cooking fats. You often hear chefs in the States talking up European butters, especially for puff pastry, because it contains less water and more fat than American butters. I don’t know why exactly leaf lard is supposed to produce such flaky pie crusts and shatter-tastic croissants, but it’s probably got to do with its even higher fat and lower water content.

]]> By: David Leite http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-56782 David Leite Sat, 14 Apr 2012 03:25:09 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-56782 Secretive? <em>Secretive?!</em> The dough and custard are made behind a locked door at night. I did discover they also use a fat that isn't 100% butter. I forgot the name, but it can be bought in Portugal. But I assume you roll your puff, cut it into 1-inch nubs, and turn them on their cut sides in order to thumb the dough up the sides of the tin? Secretive? Secretive?! The dough and custard are made behind a locked door at night. I did discover they also use a fat that isn’t 100% butter. I forgot the name, but it can be bought in Portugal.

But I assume you roll your puff, cut it into 1-inch nubs, and turn them on their cut sides in order to thumb the dough up the sides of the tin?

]]> By: Peter http://leitesculinaria.com/7759/recipes-portuguese-custard-tarts-pasteis-de-nata.html#comment-56774 Peter Sat, 14 Apr 2012 00:57:22 +0000 http://leitesculinaria.com/wordpress/?p=7759#comment-56774 The recipe is same as yours, just less water (if you're using AP flour, you'll want 125ml-135ml of water). I also do the traditional butter square thing as opposed to this room temperature spreading stuff. It's not really my recipe, just a basic puff pastry recipe you'll find in almost any culinary guessing book. There's also an America's Test Kitchen episode where Julia (one of the cooks) builds the puff pastry using a jelly roll pan and parchment paper making it virtually impossible to screw up. As for the stretchiness, as far as I know, the elasticity of flour is affected by only the gluten content and the amount of kneading (and to a lesser extent, things like salt and acid). Typically, puff pastries are kneaded very little so as to avoid gluten development, some folks even recommend adding a bit of acid to keep the gluten from developing. I imagine an expert pastry baker would be the person to consult on this sort of thing though--as I understand it, those Belem bakers are rather secretive with their recipes. The recipe is same as yours, just less water (if you’re using AP flour, you’ll want 125ml-135ml of water). I also do the traditional butter square thing as opposed to this room temperature spreading stuff. It’s not really my recipe, just a basic puff pastry recipe you’ll find in almost any culinary guessing book. There’s also an America’s Test Kitchen episode where Julia (one of the cooks) builds the puff pastry using a jelly roll pan and parchment paper making it virtually impossible to screw up.

As for the stretchiness, as far as I know, the elasticity of flour is affected by only the gluten content and the amount of kneading (and to a lesser extent, things like salt and acid). Typically, puff pastries are kneaded very little so as to avoid gluten development, some folks even recommend adding a bit of acid to keep the gluten from developing. I imagine an expert pastry baker would be the person to consult on this sort of thing though–as I understand it, those Belem bakers are rather secretive with their recipes.

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