Recipes

Portuguese Custard Tarts

  • Serves

    makes 2 Dozen

Flavors of sweet ripe blueberries and tangy passion fruit makes this custard irresistible.

Ingredients

  • 1 12 cups plus 3 tbsp. flour
  • 1 14 cups butter, cubed
  • 12 tsp. salt
  • 1 13 cups sugar
  • 1 14 cups milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 pint blueberries
  • Pulp from 3–4 ripe passion fruits

Instructions

Step 1

Toss together 1 1⁄2 cups flour, butter, and salt in medium bowl. Add 6 tbsp. ice water; form into a rough ball (don't mash butter). On a floured surface, shape dough into a 6" × 12" rectangle. Fold like a letter. Roll out into a 6" × 12" rectangle; fold again. Roll out and fold 3 more times. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour; repeat rolling and folding process 2 more times. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 2

Roll out dough into a 12" × 18" rectangle. Tightly roll up long side to form a cylinder. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut crosswise into 24 slices. Working with 1 slice at a time, lightly flour, roll into a 3" circle, and press into 2 1⁄2"-wide, 3⁄4"-deep pie tins with sloping sides. Transfer to baking sheet and cover; refrigerate.

Step 3

Put sugar and 2⁄3 cup water into a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat without stirring; reduce heat to medium and boil for 5 minutes. Whisk together 1⁄4 cup of the milk with remaining flour in a medium bowl. Bring remaining milk to a simmer and, while whisking, pour into flour mixture. Whisk in sugar syrup and let cool until warm. Whisk in egg and vanilla to make a custard.

Step 4

Preheat oven to 400°. Fill each tart by two-thirds with custard. Top each with 1⁄2 tsp. passion fruit pulp and 2 blueberries. Bake until pastry is light brown and custard has just set, 16–18 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

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