Portuguese Leite-Creme
A silky-smooth custard tart with a caramelized cinnamon top, this Portuguese classic combines creamy custard filling and crispy pastry for pure comfort. Ready in under 30 minutes.
- Total time
- 28 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- 1 package (2 sheets) thawed puff pastry sheets
- 2 cups whole milk
- 5 large egg yolks
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 425°F and allow it to preheat for 10 minutes until the indicator light or beep signals it is ready.
- 2
Unroll both thawed puff pastry sheets and lay them flat on a 9×13-inch baking sheet, pressing them together gently to form one single layer covering the bottom.
- 3
Prick the pastry all over with a fork, pushing straight down through the dough to avoid large air bubbles, spacing holes about 1 inch apart in rows.
- 4
Pour the 2 cups of milk into a medium saucepan and set it over medium heat until you see small bubbles rising and the surface is steaming, about 5 minutes; do not let it boil.
- 5
While the milk heats, crack the 5 egg yolks into a medium bowl and whisk them with 0.5 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons cornstarch until uniform and pale, about 2 minutes of steady whisking.
- 6
Remove the hot milk from the heat and slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs, whisking for about 1 minute until smooth and combined.
- 7
Pour the custard mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into another bowl, pressing it gently through to remove any egg bits that might make the custard lumpy.
- 8
Pour the strained custard evenly over the pricked pastry sheet, spreading it with a spatula to reach all corners and cover the surface.
- 9
Place the baking sheet in the preheated 425°F oven and bake for 15–17 minutes until the custard is set but still slightly jiggles in the very center when you gently shake the pan.
- 10
Remove the leite-creme from the oven and let it cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes until it is cool enough to touch.
- 11
Sprinkle the 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon evenly over the entire surface in a light, even layer, covering all visible custard.
Tools you’ll need
- 9×13-inch baking sheet
- fork
- medium saucepan
- medium bowl
- whisk
- fine-mesh strainer
- spatula
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
