Portuguese Egg Tarts with a Fen Farm Twist by The Boarding House chef Tyler Torrance

I have had Baron Bigod on my menus since its creation, and for good reason! I have been serving it here at The Boarding House Dining Room since we opened 2016, we love it both as part of our cheese selection or as a cheeky cheese on toast.

In this recipe, I have taken a traditional Portuguese egg tart and given it a British twist by incorporating Baron Bigod into the custard filling. By melting the cheese into the milk before making the custard and spicing it with cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest, the cheese’s rich and creamy flavour is perfectly balanced with the sweet and spiced custard. We’ve including simply delightful rough puff pastry for tart shell, lightly dusted with cinnamon sugar.

This recipe is not only a delicious way to enjoy Baron Bigod, but also a great way to showcase the incredible quality of Fen Farm Dairy’s milk, butter, and cream, which are all used in this recipe. So whether you’re a long-time fan of this beloved cheese, pastel de nata or looking to try something new, this recipe is sure to be a hit with the family.

Ingredients:

For the rough puff pastry:

• 350g all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cinnamon sugar
• 250g unsalted Fen Farm Dairy butter, chilled and cubed
• 150ml cold water

For the custard filling:

• 600ml Fen Farm Dairy raw milk
• 150ml Fen Farm Dairy cultured cream
• 200g granulated sugar
• 6 large egg yolks
• 60g cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 200g Baron Bigod cheese, rind removed and diced

Instructions:

1. To make the rough puff pastry, mix the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the chilled, cubed Fen Farm Dairy butter and mix with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add the cold water and mix until a dough forms. Roll the dough out into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough into thirds like a letter, then turn it 90 degrees and roll it out again. Repeat the rolling and folding process two more times, then wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Roll the chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Roll the pastry with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar then cut circles of pastry & press into the cups of a muffin tin. Prick the bottoms of the tarts with a fork and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. In a saucepan, heat the Fen Farm Dairy milk, cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange zest over medium heat until just simmering. Add the diced Baron Bigod cheese and whisk until melted and smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until light and fluffy. Slowly pour the hot milk and cheese mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
5. Return the custard mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool.
6. Pour the custard filling into the chilled tart shells, filling each one to about 3/4 full. Bake the tarts for 20 minutes, or until the custard is set and the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
7. Serve the Portuguese egg tarts at room temperature, dusted with powdered sugar and garnished with fresh berries & membrillo.

Make many and enjoy with friends. They won’t last long…..