Pastéis de Nata

directions

Fire up your Cru Oven.

Make the flaky pastry:

Put flour on your work surface, and make a well. Slowly pour water into the center. Add the salt and incorporate the flour into the water, mixing and kneading until you get a smooth dough. Alternatively, in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, salt, sugar, and water, and using the dough hook, knead dough until smooth and elastic. Wrap dough in saran wrap and let rest on the counter for 20 minutes.

Make sure your butter is soft and pliable, but not melting. Place dough on your work surface and start rolling into a rectangle using a rolling pin. Spread a third of the butter onto the surface. Fold dough in half, then roll back out with a rolling pin. Spread a third of the butter onto the surface and fold the dough onto itself. Roll dough out and spread the rest of the butter onto the surface and fold the dough onto itself. Roll dough out to about 1/8" to 1/4" thickness. Then carefully gather the edge of the dough closest to you and roll the dough into a spiral. Wrap in plastic and let rest on your work counter until you are ready to use.

Make the custard filling:

Pour heavy cream into a saucepan and heat over medium heat on the stove.

Put egg yolks, sugar, and flour in a bowl. Whisk until smooth. 

Once the cream starts simmering, take off heat and slowly drizzle into the egg yolk mixture while whisking to avoid cooking the yolks. Pour all of the cream into the egg yolks and whisk. Then transfer mixture back into the saucepan and place over low heat and continue stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Take off heat. Pass through a strainer to make sure you have a smooth custard. Add and mix lemon zest into custard and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, take plastic wrap off the dough and cut into 7 pieces crosswise. Place each piece cut side up in a high-temperature safe muffin pan, such as a cast-iron biscuit pan. Using your fingers, start spreading and stretching the dough to cover the bottom and sides of the cup, making sure the dough is evenly distributed. Do this for all of the cups of the pan. Once all of the dough has been used, slowly pour the custard into each dough-covered cup and fill 2/3 full (you will have some custard left - save and freeze for the next batch).

 

Once you have built a sufficient fire, putting the embers onto the back or side of your oven, and the temperature is at about 600°F to 650°F, put the pan into the Cru oven to cook. The tops should turn very dark and the pastry should be browned.

After 17 minutes, check the color of the pastry. If golden brown, take out of the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, sprinkle powdered sugar onto the pastéis and enjoy!