Pastéis de Coco
by David Leite
Makes 10 pastries
My Aunt Exaltina has made these delicacies for as long as I can remember. But are they decadent custards, eggy macaroons, or a bit of both? For 35 years, no one’s been able to decide. Grab a spoon and judge for yourself.
My late friend Lois Sparks, who adored these desserts, was fond of spooning some raspberry coulis into the crater on top of the pastéis. She felt it gave them a lovely tart counterpoint to the sweet coconut. I always balked at the idea until she made them for me one night. It’s a dream-team combination.—David Leite
convert Ingredients
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup milk
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Adjust the rack to middle position. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 10 paper cupcake liners.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup of the milk. Set aside.
3. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade shred the coconut flakes for 30 seconds.
4. In a large mixing bowl, stir the eggs and sugar together with a wooden spoon. One by one, add the cornstarch mixture, remaining milk, coconut, melted butter and lemon extract, stirring well after each addition.
5. Ladle the custard into the paper cups, filling to 1/4 inch from the top. (Note: Make sure to stir frequently to keep the coconut well distributed.)
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the coconut is nicely toasted. Cool completely in the tin before serving.
Recipe © 1999 David Leite. All rights reserved.
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i made this recipe and it was go good, thank you so much for doing this recipe in English. I will be making this recipe for the holidays for my family from Boston, MA.
Thank you again,
Chris Casko
Hello Chris, so glad you liked the dessert. One thing I sometimes do is but a little strawberry compote in indentation. A nice contrast.
I just wanted to get back to you and say that the tarts were sooooo good the following day. On second thought, the indentation doesn’t bother me anymore. I will try it with some contrasting fruit the next time I make another batch. Raspberries are not available here so I will try it with some fresh mangoes, which are in season this time of the year. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Trish, hear that? That’s the sound of me clapping and whooping it up! So glad the recipe worked out for you.
I love the flavor! And yes, I also couldn’t decide if its a custard, pudding or a really soft macaroon. One question though, why does it seem to deflate once taken out of the oven? Is there something I can do to prevent this?
So glad you liked them! The indentation in the middle is traditional; it’s how I’ve always seem them. A friend does a very clear thing and puts a dollop of raspberry coulis in them. Lovely.
hi
i would like to know if i can bake coconut custard tarts without the papers?
Ana, the tarts can be very sticky, which is why my aunts use the papers. If you want to try, I’d suggest starting with very good nonstick tins that are well coated with butter and see if that helps.
Hi Ana. Yes, you can make them without the paper. I do it all the time because I tried with the paper but they kept getting stuck and it was a mess. I use silicone muffin trays which I spray with nonstick vegetable spray before I fill them in I place it on a baking sheet which is about 3 inches high and fill it with water and bake for about 25 minutes at 300 degrees. When it is cooled off I place a plate over the tray and flip them over and give a little tap on each and they come right off then I put then in muffin paper and vola they are ready to eat.
I hope this helps and enjoy I know my whole family loves them.
Tanya Cabral
Hi David,
These tarts are great. They’re delicious and so easy to make. With regards to your note to stir the mixture frequently to keep the coconut well distributed, I found it difficult to do and so I tried a different approach. I did not mix the coconut in the liquid mixture and simply divided it equally into the paper cups. Then I ladled the liquid mixture into the cups with the coconut. I found this easier to do and it seemed to do the trick. Thanks again for sharing this recipe!
Regards,
John
Hello, John, thanks for the kind words. And thanks of the ingenious method of adding the coconut. My only caveat is that the coconut shouldn’t be wadded up in the middle. Does it float and even distribute when you add the egg mixture?
Hi David, I think either way the coconut will sink and there’s probably nothing we can do about it. I just find it easier to divide the coconut more evenly without than with the liquid ingredients :-).
Ah, I see. Well, then, divide away!