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Ingredients

Puff Pastry

• 250 grams (1 1/2 cups) pastry flour or all-purpose flour

• 150 milliliters (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) room-temperature or cold water

• 200 grams (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) hard (non-spreadable) margarine or cold butter

Cream

• 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) 2% milk

• 80 milliliters (1/3 cup) full fat / heavy cream

• 75 grams (6 tablespoons) white sugar

• 1 lemon peel, about 2” long - not zest

• 1 cinnamon stick

  • If using ground cinnamon, don’t add to the cream. Instead sprinkle a bit on top before serving.

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, sifted

• 2 egg yolks, room temperature

Instructions

Puff Pastry Dough
Mix the flour and water together with your fingertips in a bowl until most of it has come together into a ball. Place the dough on a work surface, as well as any remaining flour from the mixing bowl. Knead the dough until you have a smooth and elastic ball that is no longer sticky. If the dough is too crumbly, wet your hands and continue kneading as a way to incorporate more liquid. If the dough is too wet, add a bit more flour and continue kneading until it reaches the appropriate consistency. Cut a cross on top of the dough and let it rest for about 5 to 10 minutes.

If using hard margarine, pound it with a rolling pin until you have a 3” square. If using butter, cut into tablespoons and place them together until you have a 3” square. Open the dough from the corners, mark off a square in the center of the dough that you will not flatten, and then roll each dough corner until you have a starfish shape. Place the square of margarine or butter in the middle. Lift each corner by the base and stretch it to cover the margarine or butter, until it is completely wrapped like a package.

Puff Pastry Rolling & Folding

Roll & Fold 1: Flour your worksurface, place the dough so that the folds are facing up, and softly pound the dough with a rolling pin until you have a rectangle that is approximately the length of your hand width. Roll until you have a rectangle that is approximately the length of 2 hand widths. Fold the dough like a letter. Let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll & Fold 2: Remove the dough from the fridge after resting, and place on a floured work surface facing you as it was originally. Turn the dough a quarter turn so that the if it was a book, the spine is on the left side. Roll once more until you have a rectangle that is approximately the length of 2 hand widths. Fold the dough once more like a letter and let rest in the fridge another 30 minutes.

Final Roll: Remove the dough from the fridge after resting, and place on a floured work surface facing you as it was originally. Turn the dough a quarter turn so that the if it was a book, the spine is on the left side. Roll once more until you have a rectangle that is approximately the length of 2 hand widths. Turn the dough so that it is facing you horizontally. Roll until you have a large square that is approximately the length and width of 2 hand widths. Trim the edges so that they are straight. Cut the square down the middle vertically so that you have 2 rectangles, the short ends facing you. Carefully roll each rectangle from bottom to top little by little, almost like rolling a cigarette. Let rest in the fridge for 1 hour.

Cream
In a small saucepan, combine milk, cream, sugar, lemon peel, cinnamon stick, and sifted flour. Whisk together until combined. Heat on medium-high heat, and whisk constantly until sugar is dissolved. The consistency should be creamy and letting off steam, but it shouldn’t boil or be thick. Remove from the heat and let it cool down for a few minutes.

Once cooled, remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Place the egg yolks in a bowl and lightly whisk them to break them up. Slowly, always whisking, add the egg yolks into the cooled cream mixture.

Assemble & Bake
Heat oven to maximum temperature.

Remove the dough from the fridge after the 1 hour of rest. Cut into pieces that are the width of 1 finger. Using your wet thumb, press each piece into ungreased Pastel de Nata molds, 1 piece per mold. Place the filled molds on a baking tray.

Pour the cooled cream into a small pitcher or a cup with a spout. Pour the cream into the molds, until about 3/4 full. Place in the oven on the top rack. Cook for 9 minutes. Turn on the broiler or grill function and cook for about 2-3 more minutes, or until the tops are caramelized. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a bit of water to keep them shiny. Remove from the tins and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Bom apetite!

How to Knead the Dough

How to Fold the Margarine/Butter into the Dough

How to Test for Elasticity

How to Fold the Puff Pastry

Listen to Ana’s favorite song!

What to do if butter comes out of your puff pastry?

Putting the Puff Pastry in Tins

How to Roll the Puff Pastry

How to Make the Custard