Name: Portuguese Egg Tarts
Yield: Makes 12
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting; ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; 1 lemon; 1 3–4-inch cinnamon stick; ¾ cup sugar; ⅓ cup all-purpose flour; ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt; 1½ cups whole milk, divided; 6 large egg yolks; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; A candy thermometer

Image may contain Food Egg Dessert Custard and Cake

Alex Lau

Part of the joy of eating these tarts comes from the contrast of the crunchy crust with the soft custardy filling. Making the custard is easy; the crust is more of a commitment involving rolling, buttering, folding, and repeating. If you want a shortcut, start with store-bought puff pastry, roll out to a 12" square about ⅛" thick, roll into a tightly spiraled log, and follow the instructions for slicing and pressing into the muffin tin cups. And you can read more about the globe-spanning history of Portuguese egg tarts here.

Recipe notes

Coffee Cake Scones

Sour cream scones get treated to a cinnamon-sugar swirl and crunchy streusel crown.

Millionaire’s Shortbread

Our ultimate version of the luxe chocolate-caramel bars.

Giant, Gooey Cinnamon Roll

Cinnamon bun fans, our time has come.

French Silk Pie

A no-bake Oreo crust, a rich chocolate filling, and a tower of whipped cream come together in this shut-the-room-up dessert.

Chocolate Chip Cookies With Olive Oil and Sea Salt

Olive oil gives these cookies robust, sophisticated flavor (and makes them secretly vegan).

Pumpkin Flan de Queso

This seasonal take on a Puerto Rican favorite adds pumpkin purée and a touch of warm spice for an autumnal flair.

Double-Chocolate Flourless Brownies

Nutty and deeply chocolatey, these brownies just so happen to be gluten-free.

Chewy Glazed Lemon Cookies

The zest of three whole lemons gives these cookies a no-holds-barred citrus flavor.