Method

• 1.
  Grease a large oven tray and line with baking paper. Butter bases and sides of a 12-hole, 80ml-capacity cupcake pan. With the long edge facing you, roll up the pastry sheet lengthwise into a tight log. If the pastry gets too soft, place on a tray and chill until firm enough to handle. Cut 12 x 2cm thick slices and place back on the tray. Reserve and freeze leftover pastry for another use. Refrigerate again for 10-15 minutes to firm up if needed.
• 2.
  Working with 1 pastry slice at a time, dip your thumbs in water to prevent them sticking and push pastry to line the base and side of each hole with a 5mm overhang. Refrigerate until needed.
• 3.
  Preheat the oven to 220°C fan-forced. Place a large oven tray on the top shelf of the oven.
• 4.
  To make the filling, place milk, lemon peel and cinnamon in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Transfer one-third of the hot milk mixture to a medium bowl and gradually add the flour, whisking until smooth and combined. Set aside.
• 5.
  Reduce temperature to medium-low. Remove the lemon peel and cinnamon from the remaining milk mixture. Stir in the egg yolks followed by the flour mixture. Strain through a fine sieve into a jug and set aside.
• 6.
  Place the sugar and 100ml water in a very clean heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Swirling pan gently, dissolve the sugar and bring the sugar to 108°C on a sugar thermometer. Gradually stir in syrup to the egg mixture and divide mixture among puff pastry cases. You want these to be about three- quarters full. You will have a little bit of leftover mixture.
• 7.
  Bake for about 20-25 minutes. The cream will swell and rise a lot during cooking, but then deflate back down.
• 8.
  Remove from the oven, tap the tray on the surface to help loosen the tarts out of the pan. Dust with icing sugar and/or cinnamon if desired. Personally, I like them plain.