Queijadas de Leite no Liquidificador
(kay-ZHAH-duhs duh LAY-tuh)
Doces: Sweet Endings and Coffee Hour
Dump cold whole milk, eggs, and sugar into a standard-issue countertop blender. Skip the pastry crust; as the motor whines, thirty seconds yields the unpretentious, beloved cousins of the famous pastel de nata—crustless, deeply custardy milk tarts with a gorgeously chewy, caramelized edge. The authentic flavor relies solely on the bright oils of fresh lemon zest and a heavy dusting of warm cinnamon, so pour the thin batter straight into a buttered muffin tin and let the oven handle the rest.
Before you start
Prepare the muffin tin.
Brush a standard 12-cup metal muffin tin generously with melted butter, chill in the fridge for 5 minutes to harden, then dust heavily with flour, tapping out the excess.
Preheat the oven and warm the milk.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Gently heat the milk in a microwave or on the stove until just warm to the touch, ensuring the melted butter won't solidify upon contact.
Ingredients
- granulated sugar2 cup
- all-purpose flour1 cup
- whole milk2 cup
- eggs4 large
- unsalted butter4 tbsp
- lemon1 med
- ground cinnamon1 tbsp
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- all-purpose flour2 tbsp
Method
- 01
Blend the batter.
Add the eggs, sugar, flour, 4 tablespoons of melted butter, warm milk, and lemon zest to a blender, and process on medium-high for 30 to 45 seconds until completely smooth and frothy.
- 02
Fill the tin and bake.
Pour the batter directly from the blender into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about three-quarters full. Bake on the middle rack for 30 to 35 minutes until the tops puff dramatically, blister, and turn deeply golden brown.
- 03
Deflate and unmold.
Let the tarts cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes to allow the puffed custard to collapse into its dense, signature texture. Run a thin knife around each edge and transfer to a wire rack before the caramelized sugar hardens like glue.
- 04
Garnish and serve.
Dust the warm tarts generously with ground cinnamon. They can be eaten warm or chilled in the fridge for a firmer, fudgier center.
Notes
Skip the vanilla.
Resist the urge to add vanilla extract to the batter; authentic Portuguese flavor relies entirely on fresh lemon zest and cinnamon.
Use a metal tin.
Avoid silicone molds. A metal muffin tin is absolutely necessary to conduct enough heat to form the crucial caramelized, chewy crust.