Pasteis de Nata

Ingredients

• 500 g puff pastry
• 6 whole egg yolks
• 200 g sugar
• 250 ml milk
• 100 ml heavy cream
• 1 whole vanilla beanSubstitute: vanilla extract
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 1 strip lemon peel

Instructions

1. 1

   Make syrup: boil sugar with water, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel until it reaches 100C. Let cool slightly and discard aromatics.

2. 2

   Heat milk and cream with vanilla bean until steaming but not boiling.

3. 3

   Whisk egg yolks in a bowl, then slowly pour in the milk mixture while whisking.

4. 4

   Stir in the sugar syrup. Strain through a fine sieve for a silky custard.

5. 5

   Roll puff pastry tightly into a log and slice into 12 rounds. Press each round into a muffin tin, pushing dough up the sides thinly.

6. 6

   Fill pastry shells 3/4 full with custard.

7. 7

   Bake at 250C (highest oven setting) for 12-15 minutes until pastry is deeply golden and custard has charred spots. Cool briefly and dust with cinnamon.