Pastis de Nata (portuguese custard tarts)

500g of puff pastry

250ml water
500g of sugar
1L milk (full fat)
150g soft 55 flour
11 egg yolks
1 whole egg
Peal of 1 lemon
2 cinnamon or cassia sticks
vanilla bean (optional)

Pastry:
Roll the pastry as thin as you can, brush it lightly with vinegar. Roll it and cut about 3 cm slices.
Roll the slices using a rolling pin or use your fingertips to press it against the mould. Mould the
pans or use a muffin tin
Cream:
Make a syrup with the water and the sugar to 110 (the Portuguese ponto de prola) Save it so
it cools down slightly.
Mix the flour with 200ml of cold milk to make a slurry. Take the other 800ml of milk to a boil
with the peal, the cinnamon and the vanilla.
Add the slurry to the milk and take it back to the stove. Cook until it thickens to a soft pastry
cream consistency.
Add the sugar syrup to the milk mixture and let it cool down to 35C.
Add the eggs and mix passing through a sieve.
Fill the pastry cases and bake at 250 for about 30 minutes.
The filling will expand while in the oven and will shrink back once cooled.