Lisbon's iconic custard tarts: thin, flaky pastry shells filled with an egg-yolk custard and baked at very high heat until the top blisters and chars in dark leopard spots.
Roll and chill the pastry
Roll the puff pastry into a tight log, slice into rounds, and press each round into a muffin or tart tin to form a thin shell, then chill until firm.
Infuse the milk
Warm the milk with the cinnamon stick and lemon peel until just steaming, then set aside to infuse.
5 minWhisk the flour paste
Whisk the flour into a small amount of the infused milk until completely smooth with no lumps.
Make the sugar syrup
Boil the sugar and water together until it reaches a light syrup stage, without letting it caramelize.
5 minCombine into custard
Whisk the hot sugar syrup into the flour paste, then whisk in the remaining infused milk and the egg yolks until completely smooth.
Strain the custard
Strain the custard through a fine sieve to remove the cinnamon, lemon peel and any lumps.
Fill the shells
Pour the custard into the chilled pastry shells until each is filled almost to the top.
Bake at very high heat
Bake in a very hot oven until the pastry is deeply golden and the custard tops turn dark, blistered and charred in spots.
Cool before serving
Let the tarts cool slightly in the tin before unmolding, then dust with cinnamon if you like and serve warm.
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