Queijadas de Sintra — Sintra Cheese Tarts

Small cinnamon-scented tarts with a sweet fresh cheese filling in a thin, crisp pastry case.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 1h
Cook: 25 min
Total: 1 hour 25 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
12 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • For the pastry: 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
  • For the pastry: 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • For the pastry: 50g caster sugar
  • For the pastry: 1 egg
  • For the pastry: 2 tbsp cold water
  • For the filling: 250g ricotta or fresh curd cheese, drained
  • For the filling: 100g caster sugar
  • For the filling: 2 eggs
  • For the filling: 1 tbsp plain flour
  • For the filling: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • For the filling: zest of 1/2 lemon
  • Icing sugar and ground cinnamon, to dust

Method

  1. Rub the flour, butter and sugar together until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the egg and cold water to form a dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

  2. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Grease a 12-hole muffin tin.

  3. Roll the dough out thinly, cut into 12 rounds and line the holes of the tin.

  4. Beat the ricotta, sugar, eggs, flour, cinnamon and lemon zest until smooth.

  5. Spoon the filling into the cases until three quarters full.

  6. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes until golden and set. Cool, then dust with icing sugar and cinnamon.