Mattentaart
Mattentaart is a traditional Belgian dessert consisting of a puff pastry shell filled with a sweet, creamy mixture of milk, eggs, and 'matten' (curdled milk or fresh cheese). It's a delightful balance of flaky pastry and rich, slightly tangy filling, perfect with a cup of coffee.
An original recipe by Forkin
- Total time
- 2 hr 15 min
- Serves
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Per serving
- 618 kcal
Allergen information: may contain eggs, En:Nuts, gluten, milk, and tree nuts. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.
Mise en place
Ingredients
Converted for display; the recipe amounts stay equivalent.
pastry
- 500 gpuff pastry, thawed
- 10 gbutter, melted
filling
- 500 mlmilk, full-fat
- 2 tbsplemon juice
- 2 pcsegg yolk
- 2 pcsegg white
- 100 gsugar, granulated
- 0.5 tspalmond extract
- 20 gflour, all-purpose
Equipment
saucepan · rolling pin · fork · fine-mesh sieve · baking sheet · parchment paper · mixing bowls · whisk · oven · round cutter
The method
Step by step
- 1
Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Watch carefully to prevent the milk from boiling over.
- 2
Add the lemon juice to the simmering milk and stir gently until the milk curdles and separates into curds and whey.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: This process forms the 'matten' (curds) which are essential for the filling.
- 3
Remove the saucepan from heat and let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the curds to fully separate.
About 10 min
- 4
Strain the curdled milk through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, pressing gently to remove excess whey.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Reserve the whey for other uses if desired, or discard. The curds should be relatively dry.
- 5
Transfer the curds to a bowl and mash them with a fork until smooth.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Ensure there are no large lumps for a creamy filling.
- 6
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flour, and almond extract until well combined.
About 3 min
- 7
Fold the egg yolk mixture into the mashed curds until evenly incorporated.
About 2 min
- 8
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
About 4 min
Cook’s note: Use a very clean, dry bowl and whisk for best results.
- 9
Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the curd mixture to lighten the filling.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: Fold carefully to maintain the airiness of the egg whites.
- 10
Preheat your oven to 190°C (375°F).
About 10 min
- 11
Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the puff pastry to about 3mm (1/8 inch) thickness.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Keep the pastry cold for easier handling.
- 12
Cut out 12 circles of puff pastry using a 10 cm (4 inch) round cutter.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: You may need to re-roll scraps to get all 12 circles.
- 13
Place 6 of the pastry circles onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; these will be the bases.
About 1 min
- 14
Spoon a generous amount of the curd filling onto the center of each of the 6 pastry bases, leaving a 1 cm (1/2 inch) border.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: Don't overfill, as it might spill out during baking.
- 15
Brush the edges of the pastry bases with melted butter.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: The butter helps the top pastry adhere.
- 16
Place the remaining 6 pastry circles on top of the filling, pressing down gently around the edges to seal.
About 2 min
Cook’s note: You can use a fork to crimp the edges for a decorative seal.
- 17
Brush the tops of the mattentaarten with the remaining melted butter.
About 1 min
- 18
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and puffed.
About 30 min
Cook’s note: Baking time may vary depending on your oven.
- 19
Remove from the oven and let the mattentaarten cool completely on a wire rack.
About 1 hr
Cook’s note: They are best served at room temperature.
Per serving
Nutrition
- Calories
- 617.8kcal
- Protein
- 11.3g
- Carbs
- 61.6g
- Fat
- 35.5g
- Fibre
- 1.8g
- Sugar
- 22.9g
Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.
Keep it good
Store leftover mattentaart in an airtight container at room temperature.
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