Portuguese Custard Tarts

Ingredients

2 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 tablespoons cornflour
225ml cream
150ml milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 sheet puff pastry

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Lightly grease a twelve hole (80ml capacity) muffin tray.
2. Put the eggs, sugar and cornflour in a pan and whisk together. Gradually whisk in the cream and milk until smooth.
3. Place the pan over a medium heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Strain the custard into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool.
4. Meanwhile, cut the puff pastry sheet in half, put one half on top of the other and set aside for 5 minutes. Roll up the pastry tightly from the short end and cut the pastry log into 12 x 1cm rounds. 
5. Lay each pastry round on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out until each is 10cm in diameter.
6. Press the pastry rounds into the muffin tin. Spoon the cooled custard into the pastry cases and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastry and custard are golden. Leave the tarts in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
7. Brush the top of tarts with sugar syrup glaze (optional)

To make sugar syrup glaze:
Ingredients

4 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons cornflour
5g gelatine powder

Method

1. In a small pan, add water, sugar, cornflour and gelatine powder. Whisk all together thoroughly until no lumps remain and all the cornflour and gelatine has dissolved.
2. Over medium heat bring to a boil and boil all ingredients 3 to 4 minutes, stirring consistantly. Remove from heat. Cool for 3-5 minutes. (Do not cool for longer then 5 minutes, or your glaze with set).
3. When glaze has slightly cooled, using a basting brush or a silicone basting brush, lightly brush a coat of sugar glaze over each tart until all is covered. Can repeat if neccessary to get the desired shine look or consistancy.