Portuguese Custard Vol au Vents

Ingredients

• 18 puff pastry vol-au-vent shells
• 1/3 cup flour
• 150 ml whole milk
• 100 ml cream
• 1 lemon peel
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup sugar
• 125 ml water
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 pinch of salt
• Garnish: 18 fresh blueberries, and mint leaves

Directions

To prepare filling

1. Take the water and the sugar to a boil and let it boil for 3 minutes. Set aside.
2. Dissolve the flour and salt with a bit of milk and boil the rest of the milk, cream, lemon peel and the cinnamon stick.
3. Slowly add the boiled milk and cream to the flour and return the whole thing to the stove.
4. Let it boil again, mixing always. Add the sugar syrup to this cream and let it cool.
5. Once cold add the yolks to the mixture and set aside.
6. Shape and bake the vols-au-vent as in the directions on the package but only bake them slightly so they are still quite light in color.
7. Spoon the cold custard almost up to the top and return to the oven until the custard appears to be set with just a slight jiggle.
8. Optional: Top with a blueberry and mint for garnish.