Portuguese custard tarts

Dessert · Portuguese classic.

Ingredients

• 2 tbs Plain Flour
• 2 tbs Icing Sugar
• 375g Puff Pastry
• 250g Caster Sugar
• 2 strips Lemon Zest
• 1 Stick Cinnamon
• 2 Eggs
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 50g Corn Flour
• 500ml Whole Milk
• Pod of Vanilla
• To serve Cinnamon

Method

1. Mix together — Roll the pastry Mix the flour and icing sugar, and use this to dust the work surface.
2. Roll out — Roll the pastry out to make a 45 x 30cm rectangle.
3. Roll out — Roll up lengthways to create a long sausage shape.
4. Continue cooking — Cutting pastry into rounds Cut the pastry into 24 wheels, about 1-2cm thick.
5. Roll out — Roll out each pastry portion Roll each wheel lightly with the rolling pin to fit 2 x 12-hole non-stick fairy cake tins.
6. Continue cooking — Press pastry into the tin Press the pastry circles into the tins and mould into the tins to make thin cases.
7. Heat the pan — Chill until needed. Make the infused syrup Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7.
8. Bring to a boil — Make a sugar syrup by bringing the sugar, 200ml water, lemon zest and cinnamon stick to the boil.
9. Continue cooking — Reduce until syrupy, allow to cool, then remove the cinnamon and lemon.
10. Whisk — Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and cornflour until smooth in another large pan.
11. Bring to a boil — Making custard Heat the milk and vanilla pod seeds in a separate pan until just below the boil.
12. Heat the pan — Gradually pour the hot milk over the eggs and cornflour, then cook on a low heat, continually whisking.

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