Egg Tarts

Name: Egg Tarts
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 90 g unsalted butter; 40 g icing sugar; 12 g beaten egg; 8 g condensed milk; 110 g plain flour; 60 g cornflour; 112 g beaten egg; 56 g caster sugar; 35 g milk; 140 g water

Egg tarts are made of a crisp pastry case filled with a mixture of eggs, sugar and milk or cream, baked together into a smooth, creamy custard. They are especially famous in Chinese and Portuguese cooking.

In Chinese cooking, egg tarts (衜拼, dàn tǎ) are a dim sum favourite, particularly in Hong Kong. Inspired by Portuguese pastéis de nata, they were brought to Macau by the Portuguese in the 18th century.

Portuguese pastéis de nata, for their part, were created by monks in Belém, Portugal, in the 19th century. They stand out for their silky filling and their flaky pastry.

These tarts are loved for the contrast between the crisp pastry and the silky sweetness of the egg custard.

TOTAL 90 MIN·SERVES 8·450 VIEWS

Ingredients

Pastry

90 g unsalted butter
40 g icing sugar
12 g beaten egg
8 g condensed milk
110 g plain flour
60 g cornflour

Egg custard

112 g beaten egg
56 g caster sugar
35 g milk
140 g water

Method

Pastry

Soften the 90g of butter with an electric whisk for 2 minutes.
Add the 4 g of icing sugar, then the beaten egg.
Beat slowly with the whisk.
Add 8g of condensed milk.
Sift in 110g of plain flour and 60g of cornflour.
Mix and press the dough against the side of the bowl until it is smooth, compact and no longer crumbly.
Wrap the dough in cling film and shape it into a cylinder.
Chill for 30 minutes.

Egg custard

Beat the 112g of egg until a fine foam forms on the surface.
Add 56g of caster sugar.
Whisk to combine.
Add 35g of milk.
Then 140g of water, stirring as you pour.
Chill for 30 minutes.

Assembly and baking

Cut 30 g of dough for each tin and roll them into balls
Butter each tin, or cut a small disc of baking paper and lay it in the base to make unmoulding easier.
Press the dough against the tin so it takes its shape. The sides should sit about 0.5 mm above the rim of the tin.
Pour the egg mixture into each tin, filling them 90% full.
Bake for 15 minutes at 230°C. Tray in the middle of the oven, fan setting, for a classic pale custard colour. Tray at the top, fan setting, if you want a little more colour.