Crispy, flaky crust + silky custard—all made in your food processor!

These authentic Portuguese egg tarts (Pastéis de Nata) use your food processor’s knead blade for perfect dough and emulsifying disc for ultra-smooth custard—no fancy equipment required!

🛒 Ingredients

For the crust (knead blade):

• 1¾ cups (220g) all-purpose flour
• ¼ tsp salt
• 10 tbsp (140g) cold butter, cubed
• ¼ cup (60ml) ice water

For the custard (emulsify disc):

• ¾ cup (180ml) whole milk
• ¾ cup (180ml) heavy cream
• 4 egg yolks
• ⅓ cup (65g) sugar
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)

🍽️ Special Tools

• Knead blade → For flaky laminated dough
• Emulsify disc → For lump-free custard
• Muffin tin → Traditional shape

📝 Step-by-Step Instructions

1️⃣ Make Dough (Knead Blade Method)

1. Pulse flour + salt 3x to combine
2. Add cold butter cubes → pulse to pea-sized crumbs
3. Drizzle ice water while running until dough just comes together (~30 sec)
4. Roll into log, wrap, chill 2 hours

2️⃣ Prepare Custard (Emulsify Disc Magic!)

1. Heat milk + cream until steaming (not boiling)
2. In processor with emulsify disc:
3. Blend yolks + sugar 1 min until pale
4. Add cornstarch + vanilla → blend 30 sec
5. With machine running, slowly pour hot milk through feed tube

3️⃣ Assemble & Bake

1. Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C)
2. Roll dough thin, cut circles, press into muffin tin
3. Fill ¾ with custard
4. Bake 15-18 mins until blistered and golden

💡 Pro Techniques

🔥 Hot oven secret: The high temp creates signature caramelized spots
❄️ Butter control: Dough must stay cold for flaky layers
🌀 Emulsify advantage: Disc prevents custard from curdling

🌟 Why This Works
✅ Authentic texture: Crispy shell + creamy center
✅ No lumps: Emulsify disc = perfectly smooth custard
✅ Time-saver: Processor replaces 3+ tools