Portuguese Pastel de Nata Egg Tarts with Cinnamon and Caramelized Custard

Ingredients

• 1 sheet (14 oz) frozen all-butter puff pastry, thawed
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• Pinch of salt
• Ground cinnamon and powdered sugar for dusting
• Butter for greasing muffin tin

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 500°F (or as high as your oven goes). Generously butter a 12-cup muffin tin.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry into a tight log. Slice into 12 equal rounds. Press each round into a muffin cup, working the pastry up the sides with your thumbs to form a thin shell.
3. Make custard: whisk flour and sugar in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Add cinnamon stick and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 8 minutes.
4. Remove from heat. Discard cinnamon stick. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time, then vanilla and salt. The custard should be pourable.
5. Fill each pastry shell about 3/4 full with custard.
6. Bake at 500°F for 12-15 minutes until custard is set with dark caramelized spots and pastry is deeply golden and flaky.
7. Cool 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a rack. Dust generously with cinnamon and powdered sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.