Makes 18 | Prep 15 mins | Cook 12 mins
100g sugar
125ml water
1 cinnamon stick
small piece of lemon peel
300g ready-rolled puff pastry
3 free-range egg yolks
2 tbsp cornfl our
1 tsp vanilla paste
175ml whipping cream (about 32% fat)
Pastéis de nata
1. Preheat your oven to its maximum cooking temperature. Grease a cupcake or muffi n tin.
2. Put the sugar, water, cinnamon and lemon peel in a small pan. Bring to the boil and boil hard for 5 minutes, then cool slightly.
3. Unwrap the pastry and tightly roll up the dough like a carpet. Rewrap and return to the fridge.
4. Mix the egg yolks, cornflour and vanilla paste together in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the cream over a low heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Pour on to the egg yolks while whisking. Pour the mixture back into the pan and cook, stirring continuously until the mixture starts to thicken. Take off the heat and whisk in the strained syrup.
5. Cut the pastry roll into 1.5cm lengths. Traditionally you fi t each into a muffi n cup, cutside down, and press the pastry up the sides. I found this fiddly so rolled the pastry pinwheels fl at with a rolling pin and then put them into the tins. Fill with the custard and put into the very hot oven for 9–12 minutes.
6. The tarts should be well-browned, if not a little blackened around the edges. The caramelised syrup gives
them their distinctive flavour and appearance. Cool slightly in the tin then carefully remove to a wire rack.
Eat slightly warm, if possible.