Monthly Archives: March 2015

Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

March 22, 2015

Visiting Lisbon and Porto in Portugal was life changing. Not only is Portugal a beautiful country, it is full of life and culture. The people are lovely and the food is even lovelier. I must’ve had way more than my fair share of these beautiful, vanilla scented tarts during our 10 days in the country. But they were pretty irresistible! I mean, just look at these photos I snapped of the most delicious Pasteis de Nata I’ve ever had:

My mouth waters just looking at these images again…

There are some foods that just burn into your sense memory, and for me this was one of them. I will always remember not only the taste, but also the feeling of popping into tiny little backstreet bakeries and purchasing one that has literally just been taken out of the oven. Those experiences are rare and for me, worth trying to recreate.

The key to great Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts) is actually quite simple.

  1. Uber flaky pastry.
  2. Super vanilla flavor.
  3. Silky smooth custard.

oh, and let’s not forget the iconic dark spots on top (which are incredibly difficult to master in a home oven, but let’s give it a go, shall we?).

 

A few tips to help make the best Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts) possible: Take care in rolling the pastry properly. We want flakiness and lots of layers! Also, be sure to whisk your custard like mad: no lumps here! And lastly: don’t skimp on the vanilla. It takes your tart from ordinary to extraordinary! Get ready for your cheapest ever vacation to Portugal!

Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

Look at the spiral on the bottom of the pastry! This is where your hard work rolling and cutting the pastry pays off! So many layers of flakiness!

Continue reading →

Comment on Post

Best Ever Banana Bread

March 8, 2015

I’m looking out the window to a marble gray sky that seems like at any moment it will burst into tears. As little drops begin to form on the window I find comfort in a slice of the Best Ever Banana Bread because honestly, it just makes life better. Best Ever Banana BreadI have to admit, one of my favorite things about Banana bread is not eating, but smelling the sweet scent of it baking in the oven. It really is the best thing in the world. There are very few aromas that are truly irresistible, like freshly baked bread or warm chocolate chip cookies, and Banana Bread even more so.

This bread is great because it is so moist because of the super ripe bananas. They also give this bread a great sweetness that is so natural and not ‘sugary’. This is great because you really can eat a whole lot of it for breakfast and not feel like you’re eating cake! There’s also a whole teaspoon of salt in this recipe, which somehow also makes it slightly savory. It is perfect when smeared with slightly salted butter.

Even though I really enjoy the soft crunch of texture that the walnuts give to this bread, feel free to use pecans or even remove the nuts if you have allergies. You could replace the nuts with raisins or other dried fruit, or even throw in some dark chocolate or peanut butter chips! Talk about a delicious loaf of (banana) bread!

Another reason why I call this recipe the Best Ever Banana Bread is because of how easy it is to make. Throw all the ingredients into a mixer and, bam! Ready to bake and filling your house with the glorious scent of homemade yumminess.

Continue reading →

Comment on Post

Classic French Madeleines

March 1, 2015

Classic French Madeleines

It seems like all I’ve been thinking about recently is France. I’ve bought a few books about living, eating and loving in Paris and have been inspired to go back. Do I even need to mention David Lebovitz’s blog? That’s an incentive to get on a long flight in itself! I began looking through photos of our last trip to Paris, which was actually part of our honeymoon tour, and I longed for the feeling of sitting outside a Patisserie and enjoying the little sweet treats in the summer sunshine. At this point I had two options: book a trip to Paris, or make something to make me feel Parisian in my own home. So what did I do? Both of course!

So I immediately booked a train for a weekend away at the end of May (WHOOO HOO!), unwrapped the Madeleine pans that my husband had given me for Christmas (he must have predicted this!) and I got cookin’. When making Classic French Madeleines, you need to prepare in advance and make sure you read the recipe at least twice before beginning. You need the correct equipment (two 12 hole madeleine tins) and also the time for this recipe, as the batter needs to rest in the fridge and you need to chill the pans in the freezer before baking.

These little French cakes are almost more cookie than cake. They are like a delicate little sponge with a crisp biscuit like case. They are lemon and vanilla scented bites that will transport you straight to the cobbled back streets of Paris. These super cute cakelets are best enjoyed the day you’ve made them (trust me!) but if you are getting ahead and serving the next day, do not dust with the powdered sugar after baking, wait until just before serving to enjoy them at their best. They can be stored for a few days in an airtight container.

Aren’t they just the cutest little things you’ve ever seen? They would be the perfect thing to bring to a girlie brunch or for a little snack with a pot of tea or coffee. I need to explore more flavor combinations as an excuse to make lots of them! Continue reading →

1 Comments