Can I use store-bought custard for Portuguese Tarts?
I always make my own custard when I bake Portuguese Tarts but want to take a shortcut. Can I use store-bought custard to make Portuguese Tarts? What kind of custard do I need to buy? Should it be at room temperature before I bake?
Best Answer
Short Answer: Probably, but it won't taste as good.
Longer Answer: Given that most packaged custards (if you mean the powdered sort such as Bird's or Jello) do not contain eggs, you might find that the custard does not behave quite the same and certainly will not taste as rich. They tend to use yellow food colouring to give the bright yellow colour that you would get from the egg yolks. It's a bit like asking if you can substitute Cool Whip for Whipped Cream. Yes, but....
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Whats the difference between egg custard and a Portuguese tart?
There is one major difference though as far as the English and the Portuguese versions are concerned: the English custard tart is made of crust pastry and topped with nutmeg, while the Portuguese pasteis de nata is made with puff pastry and topped with cinnamon.How thick should custard be for Portuguese tarts?
Use a rolling pin to roll each piece into a flat disc about \xbc inch wider than the diameter of the tin and about 3/16 inches thick. Use flour sparingly when rolling out the discs. Using a pastry scraper or metal spatula to lift the discs will help keep them intact.Why do my custard tarts sink?
Don't roll the dough for the tart shells too thin. 2. Place the baking sheet on a lower rack helps to cook the tart shells without overcooking the egg custard, which usually causes the egg custard to puff up and then collapse and sink later.Portuguese Custard Tarts (Pasteis de Nata) - Food Wishes
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Answer 2
If by store bought custard you mean something like Bird's custard powder, then no you cannot. Though I don't believe there is a hard distinction between them, generally what the English consider custard is more of a cream. I make the distinction, again this maybe somewhat arbitrary, in that a custard is intended to be cooked and set, which is what you're going for with the Portuguese tarts. A cream, on the other hand, is constantly stirred while heating to prevent setting, such as creme anglaise (which is what Bird's and other custard powders are intended to mimic).
Answer 3
Looking at this I would suggest that as opposed to a 'custard' that what would work, and taste better would be a store bought creme patisserie
In the uk where I am I would suggest either waitrose or marks and Spencer's
If you live abroad and can't get this then several uk food exporters sell around the world, including this one
http://www.britishsupermarketworldwide.com/acatalog/Marks-Spencer-Creme-Patissiere-300g.html
(Other retailers also carry this)
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