The "Pastel de Nata" or "Pastel de Belém" are a specialty of the traditional Portuguese cuisine.Although you can eat it in any pastry from north to south of portugal,its in Belem in the city of Lisbon that you can prove the best Pastel de Nata there is.

Beginning in 1837 in a pastry in Belem near the Monastery of Jerónimos by the Cleric as a form of subsistence,began to sell the first Pastel de Belem.From the start it was a success, although at that time Belem was far from the city of Lisbon,the many tourists who came to Belem to visit the Monastery of Jerónimos soon used to pass by the pastry to eat the delicious and already well spoken Pastel de Belem.

Still today manufactured in a craft way in the workshop of the secret like it was in the beginning,the recipe of the dressing and preparation of the pastel de belem are transmitted from generation to generation and kept in secret,by a reduce number of master pastry that have to sign a term of responsibility and make an oath in which they undertake not to disclose the recipe.

Despite numerous tests in various Europeans gastronomic laboratories,even today nobody achieve to find in a clear way the ingridientes that make the Pastel de Belem so unique in the world.

Here i give you one of the dozens existing Pastel de Belem revenue for does who would like to try:

Ingredients and Preparation

For the mass:

* 300 grams of wheat flour;
* 250 g margarine for puffs;
* Salt and water.

For the filling:

* 1 / 2 liter of milk;
* 9 gems;
* 10 spoons (soup) of brown sugar;
* 1 sachet of instant milk-cream;
* 1 scoop (tea) of wheat flour;
* 1 scoop (tea) of cornflour (maize starch);
* 1 stick of cinnamon;
* 1 lemon peel;
* 2 spoons (tea) of essence of vanilla powder;
* Cinnamon powder or sugar to taste.

Preparation:

1. Mix the wheat flour, salt and water, work the mass until gives you league.
2. Divide the margarine into 3 portions.
3. Extend the weight, spread over it 1 / 3 of the margarine and wrap like a rug
4. Repeat this operation two more times, until eventually the margarine end it.
5. At the end let rest 20 minutes.
6. Then cut into squares the mass of 2 cm thick, and place each square on a suitable flat shape for this type of pastry (to be large as the pastel de Belém).
7. Dissolve a sachet of milk-cream in milk, not too hot.
8. Take the fire in water-bath the yolks beaten with yellow sugar,milk-cream dissolved in milk, cinnamon stick, lemon peel to the flour, the cornflour (maize starch) and the vanilla essence until ready thicken.
9. Remove from fire, let warm and place a portion of the preparation within each shape that fill, but not too much.
10. Take the oven, and roast until they are cooked.
11. Powder it, where you want, with cinnamon powder and refined sugar, to taste.
12. Can be served warm or cold.

Of course if you want to experience the real Pastel de Belem,buy a plane ticket and come visit the beautiful city of Lisbon.