Tarte de Nata

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Add the cubed butter and use your fingertips to lightly rub the butter into the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.

2. In a separate bowl, beat a large egg with a dash of milk. Add this mixture to the flour mixture to create a rough dough.

3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together to form a ball.
4. Wrap the dough ball in clingfilm and chill it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.

5. After chilling, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a circle, ensuring it’s around 4mm thick or about the thickness of a £1 coin.

6. Gently lift the pastry using the rolling pin and unroll it into your tart dish.

7. Trim any excess edges and cover the pastry with foil. Chill it again for about 15 minutes before proceeding with the recipe.

8. Whilst the pastry is chilling in the fridge, preheat your oven to 180ºC and prepare your Nata (Portuguese for Cream) filling.

For the Filling

1. In a large pan, combine the egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, cream, sugar, and cornflour. Whisk together until well combined.

2. Add the lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, and milk to the mixture in the pan. Place the pan on a hob over low to medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens.

3. Remove the pastry from the fridge. Carefully pour the Nata filling into the prepared pastry case. Removing the cinnamon stick and lemon zest.

4. Place the filled tart into the preheated oven and bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown.

5. Note: Don’t be alarmed if you see the top starting to blacken a little, this is completely fine and adds to the Nata charm!

6. And you're done, enjoy this decadent tart with a sprinkling of cinnamon or why not garnish with some raspberries to add a pop of colour!