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Continente grocery store in Portugal has it's own brand of ice cream and there are sort of two categories. The standard has a flat lid and the domed lids give the impression of a superior quality ice cream. The day had come to try Continente's Mint Chocolate Gelado (Ice cream) and we went for the domed lid edition. (The chocolate swirl did me in!)
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Pastéis de Nata from Carousel Bakery in St. Lawrence Market Toronto, Canada | Traveling Through Food
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Pastéis de Nata from Carousel Bakery in St. Lawrence Market Toronto, Canada | Traveling Through Food
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Flash Forward to summer 2019 when family brought back some Pastéis de Nata after attending the Love Never Fails International Convention in Lisbon! And later when we sought out Azores Cafe in Pittsburgh so we could have some more Nata.
Basically, it was high time we tried to make Pastéis de Nata at home...
A Pastel de Nata has two main elements to master:
Which begs the question....
- Flaky Crust
- Creamy Custard
Which begs the question....
Can you make Pastéis De Nata with frozen puff pastry?
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The answer is yes! If you don't want to go through the effort of making your own puff pastry, you can definitely take the short cut and use frozen puff pastry. I used Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets and it worked like a dream. In the future, I would like to do it 100% from scratch, but it's nice to lower the barrier of entry. ANYONE can make this!
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How To Make Pastéis de Nata Custard Step-by-step
I followed LeitesCulinaria's recipe found here
- Whisk 3 tablespoons of flour with 1/4 cup of milk until smooth
- Bring 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, and 2/3 cup of water to boil. Do not stir this, but let it boil until 220F or 100C
- Scald 1 cup of milk (237ml) in a separate small sauce pan. Whisk scalded milk into the milk/flour mixture.
- Take the cinnamon stick out from the syrup and pour it into the milk/flour mixture, whisking the whole time. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
- Whisk the yolks from 6 large eggs in a bowl. Then whisk them into the milk/flour/syrup mixture.
- Strain this thin mixture into a bowl.
How long will Pastéis de Nata uncooked custard mixture last?
Uncooked custard mixture can last in the refrigerator for up to 3 days according to LeitesCulinaria.
At what temperature does milk scald? Why do you scald milk
Milk scalds once it is heated above 180F or 83C. Scalding milk can kill bacteria and enzymes that may interfere with thickening in recipes. (sources here and here)
Tips for using Frozen Puff Pastry to Make Pastéis de Nata
You will want to take the pastry out of the freezer well in advance.
How long does it take for frozen puff pastry to defrost/thaw from frozen?
In general, thaw at room temperature for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
It's important to let the pastry thaw or else you will break it when you try unroll it from the package.
Once the pastry is thawed, you are going to lay it flat on your work space (I used this large cutting board) and then roll it tightly into a log. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate until you are ready to assembly your Portuguese custard tarts!
See this CupcakeJemma video below for the technique:
How long does it take for frozen puff pastry to defrost/thaw from frozen?
In general, thaw at room temperature for 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
It's important to let the pastry thaw or else you will break it when you try unroll it from the package.
Once the pastry is thawed, you are going to lay it flat on your work space (I used this large cutting board) and then roll it tightly into a log. Wrap it in plastic and refrigerate until you are ready to assembly your Portuguese custard tarts!
See this CupcakeJemma video below for the technique:
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Assembling Pastéis de Nata
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Making Pastéis de Nata with Frozen Puff Pastry | Traveling Through Food
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The final product was quite adorable and delicious! This one has a very light dusting of powdered sugar and cinnamon on top.
Mini Pastel de Nata made with Frozen Puff Pastry | Traveling Through Food
I also tried to make them in normal sized cupcake tins, but I filled them up too high, causing the custard to run down the side and caramelize way before the pastry was fully cooked. You can tell below that the pastry at the bottom is still soft. I definitely recommend taking seriously the recommendation to fill just 3/4 full!
Tip: Fill 3/4 full with custard to prevent overflowing, over caramelization, and undercooked pastry
When do you eat a Pastel de Nata?
According to Eater, "locals eat Pastéis de Nata at breakfast, in the midmorning, after lunch, or in the evening — any time they're craving a snack"
Should you eat Portuguese custard tarts hot or cold?
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There's no wrong way! Some people love them warm, others like the texture of the custard better when it is at room temperature. Still others like them cold! The only way to decide is to try them all three ways, don't you agree? ;-)
Do Pastéis de Nata need refrigerated?
In most instances, there won't be any left over since they are so tasty! But on the off chance that you do have left overs it is recommended that you store them in the fridge.
How do you reheat Pasteis de Nata?
Reheating a pastry like this is best done in an oven or toaster oven over a microwave, for sure. 350F around 7 minutes should do the job!
How long do Pasteis de Natas last?
In an airtight box they may last up to 2 days. If refrigerated around 5 days. But seriously, just eat them today. :)
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Is there lemon in Pastéis de Nata?
Although this particular recipe did not call for it, many recipes do infuse lemon flavor into the simple syrup by adding lemon rind to the water, sugar, and cinnamon stick! I will definitely try this next time because I love a bit of lemon in a custard.
Tools That Make It Easier To Make Pastéis de Nata at Home:
For That Friend Who is Obsessed With Pastéis de Nata:
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Tried This Recipe?
Send us a photo, tag us @travelingthroughfoodtogether, or leave a comment below! We'd love to try your favorite recipes or hear about foods you discovered while traveling! Submit a recipe or food story to Traveling Through Food |
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original post 12/17/20
Apple Cinnamon Muffins - Add A Pinch Recipe Review is filed under:
Breakfast • Desserts • Snacks • Apples • Recipe Reviews • North America
Breakfast • Desserts • Snacks • Apples • Recipe Reviews • North America
Apple Cinnamon Muffins - Add A Pinch Recipe Review
Apple cinnamon muffins are delicious any time of year, but there's something about fall when the air is crisp, the apples are plentiful, and the smell of cinnamon warms your heart that makes it the perfect time to eat cinnamon apple muffins!
Apple Cinnamon Muffins Ingredients
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How To Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins:
1. Sift Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, and Cinnamon Together (tiny whisk optional, but desirable)
Did You Know? Sri Lanka is known for having the best quality cinnamon in the world, called Ceylon Cinnamon or "true cinnamon". The flavor is more delicate and highly prized in comparison to the more common cassia cinnamon. Both are helpful for diabetics and there is some indication that cinnamon has benefits relating to Alzheimer's disease, potentially blocking the tau protein from building up in the brain which is characteristic of Alzheimer's. (Source)
tl;dr Cinnamon is both delicious and helps to keep your body and mind feeling prime!
tl;dr Cinnamon is both delicious and helps to keep your body and mind feeling prime!
Sift Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, and Cinnamon Together (tiny whisk optional, but desirable)
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How To Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins:
2. Toss diced apples with flour and cinnamon.
How To Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins:
3. Cream the butter and sugar, eggs, and vanilla
How To Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins:
4. Alternate folding in the flour mixture with milk
We love our rubbermaid silicone spatulas for this - flexible enough to fold everything in, but sturdy enough to not make a mess!
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How To Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins:
5. Fold in the diced apples tossed in cinnamon and flour.
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How To Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins:
6. Scoop into muffin tins and bake at 375 F for ~ 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
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How To Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins:
7. Prepare the toping - The Add a Pinch Cinnamon Apple Muffins have a delightful Butter Cinnamon Sugar Topping!
Typically you melt the butter, brush the melted butter on the finished muffins hot out of the oven and then dip into the cinnamon sugar mixture. But since I didn't read closely enough, I melted the butter together with the cinnamon and sugar.
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How To Make Cinnamon Apple Muffins:
8. Add the topping and enjoy!
I used a silicone pastry brush to spread the butter cinnamon sugar topping over the apple cinnamon muffins and sprinkled an extra bit of sugar to give it some more texture and Voila!
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Add a Pinch Cinnamon Apple Muffin Recipe Review
These were some of the most delicious cinnamon apple muffins I've made, and I have made quite a few over the years. The apple chunks were the right size to fully appreciate, the inside of the muffin was moist, but not batter-y and underdone. The topping was delightful! Warm or room temp, this may be the best apple cinnamon recipe I've tried so far! For the full recipe, visit the Add a Pinch Cinnamon Apple Muffins Recipe here!
Thoughts on Apple Cinnamon Muffins? Have a favorite Apple Cinnamon Muffin recipe or tip to share? Leave a comment!
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Tried This Recipe?
Send us a photo, tag us @travelingthroughfoodtogether, or leave a comment below!
We'd love to try your favorite recipes or hear about foods you discovered while traveling! Submit a recipe or food story to Traveling Through Food |
Apple Cinnamon Muffins - Add A Pinch Recipe Review is filed under:
Breakfast • Desserts • Snacks • Apples • Recipe Reviews • North America
Breakfast • Desserts • Snacks • Apples • Recipe Reviews • North America
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