Portuguese custard tarts

Ingredients

• 1 sheet chilled puff pastry (about 275 g)
• 300 ml milk
• 150 g sugar
• 25 g plain flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Zest peel of half a lemon
• 100 ml water

Step-by-step method

1. Preheat the oven to its highest safe temperature, ideally 240–250°C / 465–480°F. Lightly grease 12 metal muffin cups.
2. Roll the puff pastry into a log, cut into 12 rounds and press each round into a cup, covering bottom and sides.
3. Boil water with sugar, cinnamon and lemon peel for 3 minutes. In another pan, mix the flour with cold milk and heat gently until slightly thick.
4. Discard the cinnamon and lemon. Gradually mix syrup into the milk mixture; cool until lukewarm, then whisk in the yolks.
5. Fill pastry shells about three-quarters full. Bake for roughly 12–18 minutes, watching for browned patches on top. Cool briefly before removing.