Queijadas are small cheesecake tarts that are very popular across Portugal. There are many varieties of this cherished Portuguese pastry, but it typically consists of a thin pastry shell filled with a sweet cheese filling and baked until firm and golden. Queijadas are not too sweet and taste great with a coffee! Keep on reading to learn how to make these Portuguese cheese tarts!
Queijadas – Portugal’s Sweet Cheese Tarts
If you visited a traditional pastelaria in Portugal, you probably noticed some golden tarts a similar size to Portugal’s famed Pastéis de Nata. They are queijadas, Portugal’s very own cheesecakes. They are believed to have originated during the Middle Ages when they were reportedly used as currency in the payment of rents.
Queijadas typically consist of an extremely thin pastry shell filled with a cream made with fresh cheese, eggs, sugar, butter, eggs, flour, and cinnamon powder. The recipe varies from region to region featuring local cheeses, different types of pastries, and flavours. You have Queijadas de Sintra made in the town of Sintra, Queijadas de Évora from Évora, and Queijada de Laranja (orange flavoured cheese tarts) just to name a few!
Queijadas de Requeijão – Cheese Tarts from the Alentejo
One of my favourite Portuguese cheese tarts is Queijada de Requeijão. This version is typical from the Alentejo region, and it’s made with requeijão – a whey cheese with a ricotta like texture and a mildly tangy taste. The cheese is combined with white sugar, eggs, egg yolks, butter, flour, and a touch of cinnamon powder. The pastry dough, which is similar to a patê sucrée, contains lard, butter, flour, egg, and warm water. The queijadas are baked until they firm up gaining a golden brown slightly crinkled top.
How to Make Queijadas de Requeijão
There’s little secret to making Queijadas de Requeijão, you just need the right ingredients and tools, and enough patience to make the pastry dough. To make both the pastry and the filling you will need eggs, sugar, flour, butter, lard, requeijão, cinnamon powder, and water. You will also need a rolling pin, and individual ruffled pie tins, although you can also use muffin or cupcake tins.
Making the Pastry Dough from Scratch
The process of making the pastry dough is quite straightforward. You just have to add the flour, lard, and cold butter cubes, into a bowl and work it with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. You then mix in 1 egg and add the warm water gradually. It will feel like something has gone wrong with the dough, don’t give up, continue to work until it the dough comes together, but be careful as not to overwork it.
You then shape it into a ball and let it rest while you prepare the cheese filling. With the dough rested it’s time to roll it to about 3mm of thickness and cut it into circles slightly wider than the rim of the tins. Use your fingertips to press the dough into the tins, trim any excess. Don’t throw the scraps away, gather them into a ball instead, and roll it out again to cut more circles.
Making the Cheese Filling
To make the filling, whisk together the cheese with the sugar and eggs until the mixture is smoother and as lump free as possible. You then add in the melted butter, flour, and cinnamon powder and continue to whisk to combine.
Pour it into the tins lined with the dough, filling about three quarters of the tin. The final step is to bake the tarts in the oven at 180-200°C for about 15 minutes or until the filling is set and the top looks slightly caramelised. Be careful as not to overbake it as it will make the filling dry and grainy. Transfer the tarts to a baking rack, let them cool for a couple of minutes face down, this will make them more even.
This recipe yields about 20 tarts made on tins with 7cm of diameter. Traditionally, they are made in larger tins, so make sure to adjust oven time according to the size of your tins.
How to Make Queijadas de Requeijão – Portuguese Sweet Cheese Tarts
Queijadas de Requeijão – Portuguese Cheesecake Tarts
20
servings1
hour15
minutes132
kcalQueijadas are small cheesecake tarts that are very popular across Portugal.
Ingredients – Pastry
25 g Cold unsalted butter – cubed
25 g Lard
150 g Flour
1 Large Egg
50 ml Warm Water
Extra Flour for Dusting
- Filling Ingredients
250 g Requeijão de vaca – whey cheese
180 g Granulated Sugar
25 g Melted Unsalted Butter
2 Medium Eggs
2 Egg Yolks
1 tbsp All-purpose Flour
1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
Pinch of Salt
Directions – Pastry Dough
- To a bowl, add the flour, the cubes of cold butter, and the lard. With your fingertips, work the mixture until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
- Add in the egg, continue to mix to incorporate. Gradually add the warm water, continue to work until the dough comes together.
- Knead for about 5 minutes. Wrap it in cling film, place it in the fridge for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Making the Cheese Filling
- In a large bowl add the cheese, sugar, eggs, and egg yolks. Whisk it until the mixture is smoother and as lump free as possible.
- Add in your melted butter, flour, cinnamon powder, and pinch of salt. Continue to whisk to incorporate.
- Assembling the Tarts
- Sprinkle some flour on a clean surface. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin, adding more flour as you go, until it reaches 3mm of thickness.
- Pre-heat the oven at 200°C.
- Use a round cookie cutter or the rim of a glass, to cut out circles wider than the diameter of the tins. Gather the scraps, roll out again, cut more circles.
- Place a circle of dough on top of the tart tin, use your fingertips to press it tightly into it, filling in the ruffles. Trim out any excess. Repeat the process until you run out of dough.
- Use a fork to poke some holes on the dough base. Pour in the cheese filling, filling in three quarters of the tin.
- Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the tart is set and looks lightly caramelised.
- Transfer to a baking rack, carefully unmould them with the help of a cloth. Allow it to cool for a couple of minutes face down on the rack. Enjoy them with a cup of coffee or tea!
Tips
- The dough can be made in a food processor too.
- When making the dough, keep in mind that you might need more or less water depending on the size of the egg and the flour you use.
- Baking time will vary depending on the size of the tin you use. Make sure to adjust accordingly.
- Be careful as not to overbake the tarts as it can cause the filling to go dry and grainy.
- Allowing the tarts to rest face down on a baking rack will help making them more even.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments!!