Natillas Tart

Natillas is a rich Spanish custard with vanilla and cinnamon. Delicious on its own, or with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, it also makes a flavorful filling for almond flavored tart pastry. Top it with thin and crispy coconut lace cookies, and you have a combination of favorite dessert textures and flavors in one.

Unlike crema catalana or crème brûlée, natillas does not include the thin layer of caramelized sugar that breaks into shards when tapped with the spoon. Arguably the golden layer is the best part of these European desserts. Instead of torched sugar, I top my natillas tart with cookie crisps that have a similar color and taste, but with the addition of toasted coconut.

Ingredients

Pastry

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons chilled butter
¼ cup finely ground almonds
1 egg yolk
½ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons ice water

Natillas

4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
2 ½ cups milk
2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
⅛ teaspoon salt
2 cinnamon sticks
Large strips of zest from ½ lemon
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

How to Make the Tart Pastry

For the tart pastry, combine flour, sugar, almonds and salt in a food processor. Cut butter into small pieces and pulse into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg yolk with extracts and add to the flour mixture. Pulse to combine. Use about 2 tablespoons ice water as you continue pulsing the dough until it comes together. Turn onto work surface or plastic wrap and gently form into a cohesive disk. Refrigerate wrapped dough for at least 30 minutes.

After the dough has chilled, roll it out to fit a 9 inch tart pan with removable bottom. Use a fork to evenly prick the base of the tart. Place the lined tart pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line the with parchment paper and baking beans or pie weights. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights and return to the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden and dry to the touch. Cool on a wire rack.

How to Make the Custard

When you cook the custard, be sure to avoid scorching the mixture during each of the steps, but keep in mind that a certain amount of heat is required for the natillas to thicken and reach the proper consistency.

Begin by whisking the eggs and sugar in a bowl until smooth set aside. Next whisk the milk, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan until smooth. Add the cinnamon and lemon zest and cook over medium heat, whisking often, until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Remove from heat.

Add 1 cup of the warm milk slowly to the egg mixture while whisking. Pour the egg mixture into the milk that remains in the saucepan and return to medium heat.

Bring to a boil (look for large bubbles) while whisking, and cook for an additional minute. Reduce heat to moderate-low and continue cooking and whisking until it reaches a thick consistency. Pour the custard through a mesh sieve into a bowl. Stir in vanilla extract.

Once cooled, whisk to loosen and pour custard into the cooled tart crust. Cover and chill until ready to serve.