Pasteles De Coco Coconut Pastries Recipes

PORTUGUESE COCONUT CUSTARD TARTS - PASTéIS DE COCO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Adjust the rack to middle position. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with 10 paper cupcake liners.
• Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 cup of the milk. Set aside.
• In a food processor fitted with a metal blade chop the coconut flakes for 30 seconds, or chop well by hand.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir the eggs and sugar together with a wooden spoon. One by one, add the cornstarch mixture, remaining milk, coconut, melted butter and lemon and other extract, stirring well after each addition.
• Ladle the custard into the paper cups, filling to 1/4 inch from the top. (NOTE: Make sure to stir frequently to keep the coconut well distributed.)
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the coconut is nicely toasted. Cool completely in the tin before serving.

PASTELES DE COCO (COCONUT PASTRIES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out each sheet of pastry dough slightly, just to thin it. Cut each sheet into 12 squares, and place half the squares on the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least half an inch between each square.
• Place a spoonful of coconut in the center of each pastry square, then top with a second pastry square. Pinch the dough on two sides to seal in the coconut filling.
• Bake pastries in preheated oven until golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack.

COCONUT PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk them briefly to break them up. Combine the milk, sugar, salt, and corn starch in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk everything together, until the sugar and cornstarch dissolve, and continue to whisk while the mixture heats up. Once it starts to bubble and thicken, remove it from the heat. Whisk the bowl of egg yolks while slowly streaming in about 1 cup of the hot milk mixtureâ€"this will help heat the egg yolks gently so that they don’t cook during the process. Now whisk the milk mixture while you pour the egg yolks into the saucepan. Return the pan to the heat and continue to cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream thickens and has the texture of pudding. You may want to occasionally scrape the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula to prevent any scorching. Once thick, remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract. Let the cream cool to room temperature, whisking occasionally so that the top doesn’t form a skin. If you want to make this in advance, pour it into a bowl or airtight container, press cling wrap right on top of the pastry cream, and refrigerate until chilled. Pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week. Right before you are ready to assemble the cake, stir in the shredded coconut.