Portuguese Cinnamon-Lemon Pastéis de Nata

Preheat oven for 20 minutes at 250°C, or the highest safe setting if lower. Grease 12 muffin cups with 8 g butter. Roll 320 g chilled pastry into a tight log, cut into twelve and press each spiral thinly into the base and sides of a cup, then refrigerate.

Combine 100 ml water, 165 g sugar, 5 g cinnamon stick and 5 g lemon peel in a pan. Heat five minutes over medium heat until sugar dissolves; cool five minutes and remove solids.

Whisk 100 ml milk with 28 g flour; warm remaining 200 ml milk and add gradually. Return to low heat, stir three to four minutes until lightly thickened, remove heat and whisk in syrup gradually. Let cool until warm, not hot.

Whisk six yolks gradually into the cooled cream and strain. Fill twelve pastry shells about three-quarters full. Bake at 250°C for 12–16 minutes until puff pastry is crisp and custard develops brown spots without acrid burning.

Check the thickest custard center has reached at least 71°C with a clean thermometer; if not, bake in two-minute intervals and recheck. Cool ten minutes in the tin, remove and serve two each. Refrigerate egg-dairy tarts within two hours.