Pastéis de Nata

• Makes 12 tarts
• Prep time: 45 minutes
• Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 50g plain white flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 350ml milk
• 265g white sugar
• 80ml water
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 sheet of puff pastry (about 300g)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 290C or as high as it will go and lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tray.
2. In a saucepan, bring to a boil the sugar, water, vanilla, and cinnamon. Cook until a thermometer reads 100C. Do not stir.
3. Separately, whisk the milk, flour and salt together and cook over a medium heat, constantly stirring until the milk thickens (about 5 minutes). Take off the heat to cool.
4. Once cooled for about 10 minutes, whisk in the yolks. Then add the sugar syrup and mix until well combined.
5. Meanwhile, cut the pastry sheet into two pieces and place them on top of each other. Tightly roll into a thick log and cut the log into 12 ever pieces.
6. Place one in each muffin tin and then dipping your fingers in cold water, press down in the centre of the pastry and then work into a cup shape, coming just above the top of the muffin dimple.
7. Fill each cup about 2/3 full of custard.
8. Bake until the custard caramelises and the pastry becomes golden brown (about 10 to 15 minutes).