Portuguese custard tarts (Pastéis de Nata)

Ingredients

• 16 gFlour
• 16 gPowdered sugar
• 375 gPuff pastry
• 250 gSugar
• 2 gLemon zest
• 3 gCinnamon stick
• 2 pcsEgg
• 4 pcsEgg yolk
• 50 gCornstarch
• 500 mlMilk
• 1 pcsVanilla bean
• 2 gCinnamon
• 200 mlWater

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the dough

   • Mix the plain flour and icing sugar and dust the work surface.
   • Roll the puff pastry into a rectangle about 45 x 30 cm.
   • Roll up lengthways to form a long sausage.
2. 2

   Cut into rounds

   • Cut the roll into 24 wheels about 1–2 cm thick.
3. 3

   Fit into tins

   • Lightly roll each wheel to fit into two 12‑hole non‑stick fairy cake tins.
   • Press the pastry into the tins to form thin cases and chill until needed.
4. 4

   Make the infused syrup

   • Preheat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan).
   • Bring the caster sugar, 200 ml water, lemon zest and the cinnamon stick to the boil and reduce until syrupy.
   • Allow to cool then remove the cinnamon and lemon.
   • Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and cornflour until smooth.
5. 5

   Make the custard

   • Heat the milk with the vanilla pod seeds until just below boiling.
   • Gradually pour the hot milk onto the eggs and cornflour mixture, whisking constantly.
   • Cook gently, whisking, until slightly thickened.
6. 6

   Add syrup and bake

   • Stir the cooled sugar syrup into the custard and whisk briefly.
   • Strain the custard and fill into the pastry cases.
   • Bake for about 15 minutes until pastry is golden and custard has darkened.
7. 7

   Cool and serve

   • Allow to cool completely in the tins.
   • Dust with icing sugar and ground cinnamon before serving.