Preheat oven to 190C/170C fan forced. Lightly brush twelve 80ml (⅓ cup) muffin pans with some of the melted butter.
Combine the cream and garlic in a small saucepan. Season. Bring just to a simmer. Remove from heat and set aside to allow the flavour to develop.
Use a sharp knife to slice the ends off the potatoes and discard. Cut the potato into very thin slices, about 2-3mm (see note). Divide potato slices into 12 stacks. Place a stack into each muffin hole. If some are too large to fit in, trim off excess. The stacks should come just under the rim of the pan (they will shrink down when cooked).
Remove the garlic from the cream and discard. Pour the garlic cream into each hole. Lift the potato slices slightly with the tip of a knife to allow the cream to run through. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Add the golden syrup to the melted butter (reheating if necessary), stirring to combine. Remove foil from pan and brush mixture over tops of potato stacks. Bake for a further 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Set aside in the pan for 10 minutes, then use a small knife to lift the stacks from the pan. Serve sprinkled with chives, if using.
