Portuguese Custard Tarts

First up; unroll your pastry and brush with a little water. Tightly roll up the pastry starting at the longer edge. Wrap in clingfilm and pop in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes.

Whilst your pastry is chilling it's time to make the filling; pop the water, sugar, cinnamon and lemon zest into a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Heat until the sugar has dissolved; turn up the heat and boil for 1 minute, don't stir your sugar syrup. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Mix together the flour and a little milk to make a smooth paste. Pop the rest of the milk into a pan with the Vanilla Paste and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and whisk in the flour mixture until smooth. 

Remove the cinnamon and lemon zest from the sugar syrup with tongs or a spoon and slowly pour into the mixture whisking as you pour. 

Finally add the egg yolks to the mixture, whisk to combine until smooth and cover with clingfilm to prevent a skin from forming on the custard. 

Preheat your oven to 230°C/210°C/Gas Mark 8 and lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tray with butter. Remove the pastry from the fridge and cut into 12 equal pieces.

Pop a piece into each muffin hole and using your thumb massage in circular motions around each disc to make the pastry rise up the sides of the tin. – if you wet your thumb it will make this step easier. 

Divide the custard equally between the pastry cases and bake for 15-18 minutes until the pastry is golden and the top of the custard is scorched. 

Leave your Portuguese custard tarts to chill in the tin for 15 minutes this helps the custard set. Then dust with a little icing sugar, serve and enjoy!