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Pantxineta
Custard and almond puff pastry tart
Pantxineta: San Sebastián puff pastry tart filled with custard and topped with almonds
SpanishPantxineta was first baked in a pastry shop in San Sebastián's old town in the early twentieth century, and Donostiarras still buy it on Sunday mornings to take to family lunch. Two layers of buttery puff pastry enclose vanilla pastry cream, and the top is covered with flaked almonds and icing sugar. It is best eaten warm on the day it is made, while the pastry shatters. A common mistake is filling the pastry with warm custard, which melts the butter layers and stops them rising. Chef's tip: chill the assembled tart for 20 minutes before baking so the pastry keeps sharp edges.
- Total time
- 70 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the pastry cream
- 1 ¾ cups whole milk
- 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 1 ¼ oz cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the tart
- 1 ⅛ lb all-butter puff pastrychilled
- 1 tbsp plain flourfor dusting
- 1 eggbeaten, for glazing
- 2 ⅛ oz flaked almonds
- 2 tbsp icing sugar
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat 1 ¾ cups whole milk with 1 strip of lemon peel until steaming. Whisk 4 egg yolks, 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar and 1 ¼ oz cornflour in a bowl, then whisk in the hot milk (remove the peel). Return to the pan and stir over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes until thick and bubbling. Stir in 1 tsp vanilla extract, cover the surface and chill until cold.
15 minStep 2: Dust the worktop with 1 tbsp plain flour. Cut the 1 ⅛ lb all-butter puff pastry in half and roll each piece to about 3 mm thick. Cut one 24 cm circle and one 26 cm circle.
8 minStep 3: Put the smaller circle on a lined baking tray. Spread the cold cream over it, leaving a 2 cm border. Brush the border with ½ egg.
4 minStep 4: Lay the larger circle on top and press the edges firmly together with a fork. Brush the top with the rest of the ½ egg, scatter over 2 ⅛ oz flaked almonds and press them on lightly. Chill for 20 minutes.
22 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 400°F. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is puffed, deep golden and the almonds are toasted. If the almonds brown too fast, cover loosely with foil.
35 minStep 6: Cool for 15 minutes, then dust generously with 2 tbsp icing sugar and cut into wedges with a serrated knife.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pantxineta take?
- About 70 minutes in total: 35 minutes to prepare and 35 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of whole milk?
- Semi-skimmed milk with 1 tbsp cream per 240ml (1 cup).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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