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Pastelaria Batalha

How to Get a Personal Baking Lesson From a World Class Pastry Chef; Pandemic Style

November 15, 2020 //  by Five Family Adventurers//  11 Comments

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The year 2020 has been a trying one for all of us, and a disastrous year for travel. Right before the world shut down, we got in one last international trip to Peru in December. In March, things came to halt. Stuck at home with our kids trying to learn virtually, Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting, and cold weather outside, we were going to have to figure out this new virtual life. We did the puzzles, but eventually the kids grew tired of it. We jumped on the sourdough bread wagon, but only one of us (me) made it, while everyone else devoured it. We tried the virtual museum and country tours. Our kids flatly refused. I think it was Zoom overload for them. We were all Zoomed out.

Homemade Sourdough


 

Just as I was ready to throw in the towel, I was invited to attend a virtual cooking class out of Portugal, teaching how opportunity to make a Pastel de Nata (Portuguese egg tart). When we were in Lisbon, we devoured them. The kids couldn’t get enough of the rich custard centers surrounded by puff pastry. Neither could we!

 

Pastelaria Batalha, located in the city of Lisbon, Portugal offers Pastel de Nata virtual cooking classes on Sundays. The classes are taught by João Batalha, a pastry chef and owner of Pastelaria Batalha. I knew this was the perfect way to get my family involved and keep the thrill of travel and culinary travel alive during a time when we cannot travel and explore. I signed up for a Sunday course taught in English. Prior to the class, the pastry shop sent a list of ingredients and tools. For some reason, I was extremely nervous about the class. After all, the class was being taught by an international award-winning pastry chef and I don’t consider myself much of a baker. I was scared I would mess it up, not only in front of a professional, but in front of my kids.

 

The ingredient list called for all-purpose flour, sugar, eggs, cinnamon stick, milk, lemon peel, salt, and water. The weights were listed in grams. I don’t measure in grams—the metric system immediately made my anxiety creep back up. I went right to work, Googling the conversions to Imperial measurements. I did go a little overboard and took to Amazon, buying a digital kitchen scale to measure in grams. I also bought egg tart molds. My anxiety was making me want to overachieve.

Day of the Virtual Cooking Class

Pastelaria Batalha

We logged on to our virtual cooking class on a Sunday morning. I had every ingredient perfectly measured and laid out in bowls. I had pre-heated the oven. The bread paddle attachment set-up to our mixer. We were ready to roll. João Batalha started by having everyone introduce themselves and say where we were from. There were a couple of other participants joining the class, including Michigan and Berlin. The thought of not only baking in front of a pro, but now adding in other people to witness my skill, was a bit unnerving.

Pastelaria Batalha

 

João told us a bit about himself and Pastel de Nata. We all made some chit chat and were ready to start the baking. We started out with the puff pastry. This was the hardest part of the entire pastry process. Given how time-consuming and complex it is, most home bakers buy pre-made pastry dough. It’s something I’d never made before. Luckily, João gave perfect instructions and was patient with us. I learned a lot from him looking at the consistency of my dough and guiding whether I needed more flour and whether I needed to work the dough further. I was worried we would be judged, but he was upbeat and positive. Most importantly, he made me feel successful.

Pastelaria Batalha

 

After finishing the pastry dough, we started making the custard filling. Fortunately, this was the easier part and the kids enjoyed tasting the finished filling made with egg yolks, milk, sugar, cinnamon stick and lemon peel. It was thick and sweet, and we were ready to put it all together.

Pastelaria Batalha

 

We put out the molds on a cookie sheet, took our puff pastry roll and got to work. We cut the pastry into 1-inch rounds. We then molded the single, pastry rounds into the pastry mold. We then took turns pouring the filling into the center of the molds. João periodically had us show him our work on camera to make sure we stayed on track.

Pastelaria Batalha Pastelaria Batalha

 

The tarts went into the oven, and baked until the top of the filling started to caramelize. During our baking time, the other participants were still working on theirs. We all chatted about where we were from. It was a nice way to get a bit personal while sharing the same baking experience. As everyone’s product started to finish, we all tried the fruits of our labors. The pastel de nata we baked was rich, sweet, and–in my opinion–just like eating one on the streets of Lisbon.

Pastelaria Batalha

 

The entire class was 2 hours long but felt much shorter because of its interactive format. We were creating a product while being directly guided by a master pastry chef, rather than just watching someone do it themselves. The best part was that we got the whole family involved, creating a sweet treat from another part of the world.

 

Our online cooking course was a successful way to keep our kids engaged and active and, in a sense, keep the wonder of travel in our lives. We learned a new skill, got to try a dessert from another country, and interact with others from around the globe. The best part of the entire experience, according to the kids, was the finished product. We will definitely be doing more online cooking classes in the future.

 

Learn more about Pastelaria Batalha virtual cooking classes here.

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Pastelaria Batalha

This post may contain affiliate links which means that we receive a small commission if you click on a link & purchase something that we’ve recommended – at no extra cost to you. This helps us to keep our site running so we can continue to provide free content.

 

 


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Category: Portugal, Tips & Articles, UncategorizedTag: cooking, cooking class, custard, lisbon, Pastel de Nata, portugal

Five Family Adventurers

About Five Family Adventurers

I have been an avid traveler since a young child, exploring the world by myself and with my family. I am a mom, wife and individual. When not running after three little dependents and a fat Labrador, you can find me working on our next destination plans. Somehow I also manage to fit in a job. Life is short. Fill it with family travel and adventures. You will not regret it. Embrace what the world has to offer. Oh we are also baseball obsessed, not sure how that snuck into our lives.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. AvatarHeather Jandrue

    December 7, 2020 at 7:38 pm

    What a great idea. I would love to find one of these to do. That will be one of my goals in 2021!

    Reply
  2. AvatarAlexis Farmer

    December 7, 2020 at 7:40 pm

    This is so cool!! My husband and I would love to do an international cooking class. Gotta get creative in these trying times.

    Reply
    • Five Family AdventurersFive Family Adventurers

      December 8, 2020 at 11:30 am

      Anything that connects me to travel is good for me.

      Reply
  3. AvatarTricia Snow

    December 7, 2020 at 8:06 pm

    Oh, those pastries look delightful! I wish I baked more! Taking cooking lessons is right up my alley!

    Reply
    • Five Family AdventurersFive Family Adventurers

      December 8, 2020 at 11:30 am

      They were good

      Reply
  4. Avatarkmf

    December 8, 2020 at 12:44 am

    A virtual cooking class for the kids and the entire family is such a brilliant idea! I’ve done a couple – will have to check more out.

    Reply
  5. AvatarKristen W Allred

    December 8, 2020 at 11:42 am

    I’ve been thinking about doing something like a virtual cooking class with my daughter. I’m so glad you shared your experience. There are so many great local chefs in Raleigh, maybe I should start there!

    Reply
  6. AvatarLeeanne Miller

    December 8, 2020 at 12:01 pm

    My kids have gone to cooking classes but we haven’t done a virtual cooking class yet and for the whole family? That sounds wonderful. I think this would be a great Christmas present. My husband and I went to Portugal on our honeymoon and we loved these pies too.

    Reply
    • Five Family AdventurersFive Family Adventurers

      December 9, 2020 at 8:15 am

      Great gift idea, love it.

      Reply
  7. AvatarLisa Manderino

    December 8, 2020 at 10:38 pm

    A virtual cooking class sounds so fun!

    Reply
  8. AvatarJulie Gazdecki

    December 9, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    This is such a fun idea. I bet my youngest would like kind of cooking class.

    Reply

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Five Family AdventurersI have been an avid traveler since a young child, exploring the world by myself and with my family. I am a mom, wife and individual. When not running after three little dependents and a fat Labrador, you can find me working on our next destination plans. Somehow I also manage to fit in a job. Life is short. Fill it with family travel and adventures. You will not regret it. Embrace what the world has to offer. Oh we are also baseball obsessed, not sure how that snuck into our lives. Read More…



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