I don’t know how old I was when I had my first Portuguese custard tart, but I remember exactly how tall I was: tall enough for my nose to *just* poke over the bakery box on our kitchen counter. At the end of a day trip to Toronto, my mother brought me into Caldense Bakery to grab a dozen tarts to take home. The bakery was bustling and hot with steamy, vanilla-scented air. It was a treat enough to smell and look at these little bright yellow pastries, but to eat them was nothing short of sensational.

My autumnal take on this beloved pastry combines the characteristic custard filling and shattery shell with a classic pumpkin pie. This is the perfect laminated, artisanal pastry for home-bakers to try—it’s as forgiving as your self-described “people-pleasing” friend and incredibly satisfying. If you can make cinnamon rolls, you can make these. Bring these show stopping tarts to your Thanksgiving dinner or Autumn potluck. *crunch*

This recipe makes 12 tarts

For the pastry:

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon + ⅛ tsp salt

⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp water

½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature

For the pumpkin custard:

¼ cup white sugar

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

3 egg yolks

1 whole egg

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 cinnamon stick

¾ cup whole milk

¾ cup pumpkin puree

Cinnamon for serving

To make the dough, combine flour, salt and water and mix until a dough forms. Gently knead on a floured surface for 1-2 minutes, until the dough’s surface is smooth. Rest for 20 minutes.

Using plenty of flour and a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 12”x12” square. Imagine the dough to be a pamphlet flyer that folds into thirds. On ⅔ of the dough’s surface, spread ⅓ of the butter into an even layer, leaving a ½ inch border. Fold unbuttered ⅓ of dough overtop of the middle buttered ⅓, then fold the other buttered ⅓ of dough overtop of the folded sections. The dough is very forgiving, so don’t stress!

Roll out the dough again and repeat the previous step. The dough may want to stay rectangular, but make sure the shorter length measures 12”. After laminating, allow to rest in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Roll out the dough again to a 12”x12” square. Trim edges. Spread the remaining ⅓ of butter over the whole surface. Roll the dough into a log starting at the bottom edge, then wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest 2 hours or overnight, ideally.

To make the custard, combine sugar, flour, egg yolks and egg, salt, vanilla and cinnamon stick in a medium-sized pot. Add milk gradually while whisking to create a smooth mixture with no lumps. Put on medium heat and whisk constantly until it’s thick as pudding, about 5 minutes. When it starts to bubble, remove from heat. Add pumpkin puree, and whisk until combined. Remove cinnamon stick and vanilla bean, if used.

To make the tarts, pre–heat oven to 500 and place a metal baking sheet in the upper third of the oven.

Remove dough from fridge, cut into 12 even disks and place into muffin tin. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to warm up.

Using your fingers, press down in the center of the dough disk to create an even bottom layer, then press and drag to force the dough up the edges of the muffin tin. Don’t fuss too much. Made a hole? Patch it up and move on.

Distribute the custard between the 12 tart shells, filling them up ¾ full. I use a ¼ cup measuring spoon, filling it up to be ¾ full, then pouring into the tart shells.

Bake on the preheated baking sheet for 14-16 minutes until pastry edges are golden brown, then broil on high for 1-2 minutes until dark spots appear on the custard. Make sure to watch to avoid them burning.

Cool for 20 minutes before enjoying. Sprinkle with cinnamon to serve. 🥧