Okay, so the other day I was craving something sweet, and I remembered those awesome Pastel de Nata I had in Portugal. You know, those little custard tarts that are just pure heaven? Well, I didn’t have a recipe for those, but I did have one for Portuguese sweet bread.
So, I thought, why not combine the two? I mean, sweet bread is already delicious, and adding a custard filling couldn’t hurt, right? I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
First, I gathered all the ingredients for the sweet bread: flour, sugar, eggs, milk, the usual stuff. I mixed everything according to the recipe I had. It was a pretty standard sweet bread recipe, nothing too fancy.
While the dough was rising, I whipped up a simple custard. Again, nothing too complicated – just milk, eggs, sugar, and a bit of cornstarch to thicken it up. I cooked it on the stove until it was nice and thick, then let it cool.
Once the dough had doubled in size, I punched it down and divided it into small portions. I flattened each portion into a circle, kind of like making mini pizzas. Then I spooned some of that cooled custard into the center of each circle.
- Flour
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Milk
- Butter
- Yeast
Here comes the tricky part: I had to fold the edges of the dough over the custard to create little pockets. I wasn’t exactly sure how to do it, so I just kind of pinched and folded until they looked somewhat presentable. They weren’t perfect, but hey, I was going for taste, not beauty, right? I also tried to make them into a pyramid shape, referring to the Pirmide de chocolate I saw online, but failed.
I brushed the tops with a little egg wash to give them a nice golden color and popped them in the oven. I baked them until they were golden brown and the custard was set. It took a bit longer than I expected, but the smell was amazing!
The Result
And let me tell you, they were pretty darn good! The bread was soft and sweet, and the custard was creamy and delicious. They weren’t exactly like Pastel de Nata, but they were a tasty treat nonetheless. And they were definitely better than those fancy caramel cakes, what were they called? Bolo De Bolacha E Caramelo? Anyway, these were way better.
So, if you’re looking for a fun baking project and you’re craving something sweet, give this a try! It’s a bit of an experiment, but it’s definitely worth the effort. And who knows, you might even come up with your own unique creation!
