Portuguese Egg Tarts

Coming home from 13 days away and I’m  swimming in a long list of to-dos.

Thankfully, I’ve already checked off the most imposing–clean the house–and my cat has just found her way into my lap.

With a granola bar on my right and a cup of tea on my left, I feel confident that my organizational skills will pull me through these next few months.

Being in Colorado was relaxing, a chance to reconnect with my family, friends and  desires. Sometimes stepping away from normalcy–the busyness, the chores, the responsibilities–helps you to refocus.

On Monday evening, my older sister, Susanne, and I watched my nine-year old niece bound across the living room. Performing cartwheels, back bends, and the splits, Halley delighted in the elasticity of her muscles. She made Susanne and I laugh until our sides hurt with her spot-on theatrics and her willingness to fall flat on the ground.

Watching Halley made me realize that life is too short to not pursue the deep desires of your heart. Whether that means bounding across the living room or writing a novel, our desires are what make us unique and beautiful individuals.

The desires I find most pressing are as follows (because I can never resist a list):

-Write a novel
-Start a cake business
-Spend long evenings in the company of family
-Take Halley to Paris
-Travel the world with Ryan
-Start a family of my own (not now, not now)

So now that I’ve listed them, I’m working on ways to bring them to fruition. Some are easier than others to achieve. Some seem so impossibly distant that it makes my heart hurt.

But then I remember Halley. The way she kept on bounding across the carpeted floor. No matter how many times she couldn’t stretch into a back bend, she kept on trying. Eventually, with Susanne’s help, she made the full extension. And I’m confident that by the time I get back to Colorado again, she’ll be doing one all on her own. 

These Portuguese Egg Tarts tie in with desire number 5–travel the world with Ryan. We shared these tarts on our last overseas vacation to Spain and Portugal. These egg tarts can be found everywhere in Portugal. They are sweet and buttery and just small enough to tide you over between lunch and dinner.

Ryan and I loved buying a few in the afternoon and then saving one to share after our evening meal.

This recipe is easy (can we all thank the gods for frozen puff-pastry?) and absolutely delicious. They present beautifully and taste even better, making them a perfect dessert for a special dinner.

Portuguese Egg Tarts
1 cup whole milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar
6 egg yolks
1 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups. Roll one sheet of puff pastry into a log and cut into six equal pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll pieces into a circle large enough to fit inside muffin cup.  Line each bottom and side with puff pastry. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry.

2. In a saucepan, combine milk, cornstarch, sugar and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly (about 2 minutes). Place egg yolks in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk 1/2 cup of hot milk mixture into egg yolks. Then, add egg yolk mixture back to remaining milk mixture, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in vanilla extract.

3. Fill pastry-lined muffin cups with mixture and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is lightly browned on top. If desired, sprinkle the top of each tart with powdered sugar.

Always,
Monet
Anecdotes and Apple Cores