Ingredients
Scale
For the pastry:
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
- Flour for dusting
For the custard filling:
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (40g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) whole milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Peel from 1 lemon (use a vegetable peeler to avoid the bitter white pith)
- 6 large egg yolks
Serving:
- Ground cinnamon and powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Start by rolling out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a thin rectangle, then roll it up tightly from one short end to the other, like a jelly roll. Slice into 12 equal pieces.
- Place each piece into a muffin tin cup, cut-side down. Using your thumbs, press and stretch the dough evenly into the base and up the sides of the cups.
- In a saucepan, whisk together the sugar, flour, and a small amount of the milk to form a smooth paste. Add the rest of the milk along with the cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it just starts to simmer and thicken.
- Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon stick from the milk mixture, then slowly whisk the warm milk into the egg yolks.
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Strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve for a smooth filling. Let cool slightly.
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Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C) or as high as your oven safely goes.
- Pour the custard into the prepared pastry cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the custard puffs and the tops begin to blister and brown. Some black spots are traditional — don’t be afraid of a little char.
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Let the tarts cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.