Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour and half of the sugar (1/2 cup).
2. Add the softened butter and eggs to the flour mixture. Knead until a smooth dough forms. Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3. While the dough is chilling, prepare the custard. In a saucepan, combine the milk, remaining sugar (1/2 cup), vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Heat over medium heat until it begins to simmer.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until smooth. Gradually add the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the yolks from scrambling.
5. Return the custard mixture to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a custard. Once thickened, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a muffin tin.
7. Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface and cut into circles that fit your muffin tin's dimensions. Place half of the circles into the bottoms of the muffin tin.
8. Fill each dough-lined muffin cup with the cooled custard. Top each with the remaining dough circles, pressing the edges to seal the pastries.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastries are golden brown. Allow the Pasticciotto to cool before serving, as the custard filling will be hot.