Portuguese Custard Tarts

Crispy puff pastry shells filled with a delicate vanilla custard cream and dusted with cinnamon. A classic Portuguese dessert that melts in your mouth and captivates from the first bite.

Ingredients

• 375 g Puff pastry
• 2 tbsp Wheat flour
• 2 tbsp Powdered sugar
• 250 g Cane sugar
• 2 pcs Lemon zest
• 1 pcs Cinnamon stick
• 2 pcs Eggs
• 4 pcs Egg yolks
• 50 g Cornstarch
• 500 ml Whole milk
• 1 pcs Vanilla pod
• 1 pinch Ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Mix wheat flour and powdered sugar. Dust your work surface with this mixture. Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle measuring 45 × 30 cm. Roll it into a long log along the longer side.
2. Cut the log into 24 slices, 1–2 cm thick.
3. Gently flatten each slice with a rolling pin so it fits into a muffin cup. Arrange the dough in two muffin tins with 12 cups each, pressing it down onto the bottom and sides to create thin shells. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
4. Preheat the oven to 220 °C. Bring sugar and 200 ml of water to a boil with lemon zest and cinnamon stick. Simmer over medium heat until the syrup thickens. Cool completely, then remove the cinnamon stick and zest.
5. In a large saucepan, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and cornstarch until smooth.
6. In a separate saucepan, heat the milk with the vanilla pod (or vanilla extract) until just beginning to boil. Slowly add the hot milk to the egg and cornstarch mixture, whisking constantly. Continue heating over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens.
7. Add the cooled syrup to the custard and whisk until slightly thickened.
8. Strain the custard through a sieve. Carefully fill the pastry shells with the custard. Place the tins in the oven.
9. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until the pastry is golden and the custard has a dark top.
10. Let the tarts cool completely in the muffin cups. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar and ground cinnamon.