Your New Favorite Tarts
Portuguese pastel de nata have conquered hearts all over the world by now. After all, there’s little that beats flaky pastry filled with creamy custard. Except, that is, the same pastry filled with something between custard and syrup: meet the Canadian butter tart.
Sometimes you come across a recipe that makes you want to get started at first sight. A recipe you can’t get out of your head. I had never heard of these tarts myself, but once I came across the recipe, I couldn’t stop thinking about them. I made them straight away last weekend and guys, these tarts are everything you want and more.
Indescribably delicious
The pastry is flaky and buttery in the best possible way. And then there’s the filling. You make a mixture of brown sugar, butter, egg and vanilla. What happens when you bake it is actually indescribable, but I’ll try anyway. The top of the mixture becomes crisp, while the bottom is gooey, custardy and syrupy. You already think it sounds delicious, but I promise you it’s even better than you think. With the first bite, I had no idea what hit me.
Variations
Pastel de nata are basically always the same: pastry and custard, c’est tout. Canadian butter tarts come in all shapes and sizes. The basic version is as described above, but many recipes also include raisins or nuts. I used this recipe and left out the nuts; you could also replace them with walnuts, almonds or raisins. Or add chocolate to the pastry, as in this recipe.
Whichever recipe you use, promise me you’ll make these tarts as soon as possible. Your life will never be the same again.
Read also:
