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Pastéis de Tentúgal
Egg cream pastry rolls
Pastéis de Tentúgal: crackling paper-thin pastry rolls with egg cream, made with filo
PortugueseIn Tentúgal, a village of the Mondego plain near Coimbra, a convent pastry is still made by hand-stretching dough across a whole room until it is as thin as tissue, then rolling it around a sweet egg cream. The real ones are sold in the village pastry shops and at Coimbra's markets, shattering at the first bite. Filo pastry with plenty of butter makes a convincing home version. Chef's tip: keep the filo you are not using under a damp cloth, as it dries and cracks in a minute or two.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the egg cream
- 7 oz granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
For the pastry
- 12 filo pastry sheetsabout 270 g, thawed if frozen
- 4 oz unsalted buttermelted
- 2 tbsp icing sugarfor dusting
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Boil the 7 oz granulated sugar and ½ cup water for 5 minutes to a light thread stage, about 225°F. Cool for 5 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Whisk the 8 egg yolks, then whisk in the warm syrup in a thin stream. Cook over a very low heat, stirring constantly, for 8–10 minutes, until thick enough to hold a ridge and at least 167°F. Cool completely.
10 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 400°F and line a tray with baking paper. Lay one sheet of 12 filo pastry sheets on the work surface, brush with 4 oz unsalted butter, then lay a second sheet on top and brush again. Repeat with a third sheet.
5 minStep 4: Cut the stack across into 3 rectangles. Spoon a line of cream along one short end of each, fold in the long sides and roll up loosely, so the ends are open and the pastry layers stay airy.
10 minStep 5: Repeat with the remaining filo and cream to make 12 rolls. Arrange on the tray, seam down, and brush the tops with the rest of the butter.
15 minStep 6: Bake for 15–20 minutes, until crisp, flaky and pale golden. A common mistake is letting them go dark brown, which hides the delicate taste. Cool slightly and dust thickly with 2 tbsp icing sugar.
18 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pastéis de Tentúgal take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 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 granulated sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of unsalted butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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