Portuguese Egg Custard Tarts

Preheat the oven to its highest temperature setting, which is 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Next, spray a dozen muffin cups with a non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Take the pie crust mix and place it in a large mixing bowl. Using your fingers or a pastry blender, gently work the butter into the mix until it forms a cohesive mass that can be shaped into a ball. Add a small amount of water and continue to mix until the dough holds together well enough to be formed into a ball. Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using your hands, knead the dough several times to make it more pliable and elastic. Form the dough back into a ball, then divide it in half; cut each half in half again to create 4 equal pieces. Cut each piece into thirds to make a total of 12 individual dough balls. Set these aside for now.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cream, milk, and vanilla extract until they become light and fluffy, taking about 3 minutes to achieve this. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any lumps or sediment.

Take one of the dough balls and press it into the bottom and up the sides of a prepared muffin cup, making sure to cover about 1 1/2 inches of the cup. Repeat this process with the remaining dough balls, pressing each one into a muffin cup.

Spoon about 80 percent of the egg yolk mixture into each crust, leaving a small amount at the top to prevent overflowing.

Place the muffin cups in the preheated oven and bake until the crusts are golden brown, the filling is set, and the tarts are lightly browned, taking anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes in total.