Shortcut pasteis de nata

Simmer the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon peels just until the sugar dissolves, kill the heat and cool.

Bring 240 g of milk to a simmer in a saucier.

Whisk 120 g of milk with the flour, stream it into the simmering milk and cook two to four minutes, whisking constantly, until it has the consistency of pancake batter.

Kill the heat, whisk in the sugar syrup, then stream in the egg yolks slowly while whisking so they temper in. Strain the custard and set it aside to cool.

Roll out the frozen puff pastry and pinch and roll it into a tight log with no space between the layers; seal the seam with a brush of water and refrigerate one hour until stiff.

Trim the ends and divide the log evenly into 12 pieces; set each cut side up on a lightly floured surface and roll to three to five inches wide, depending on the muffin tin.

Press each round into a muffin cavity, smearing the edges up above the lip, and refrigerate another 30 minutes.

Lightly dock the sides and bottoms so the pastry does not shrink, and fill each about three quarters full with custard.

Bake on a baking sheet that has been preheating in a 475F oven, 11 to 13 minutes, until the pastry is browned and the custard dappled.

Rest five minutes, then scoop them out to cool on a wire rack.

Best eaten warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar and a little cinnamon.