Egg Tart aka Dan Tat (蛋挞)

I have been experimenting with egg tart recipes. This egg tart recipe is an improved version from the recipe I posted a year ago. The crust is flakier and the custard is softer and creamier. It tastes best fresh from the oven. 

Pastry (makes 12 egg tarts - muffin size)

Ingredients

• Butter dough:

  • 100 gm flour

  • 60 gm butter

• Water dough:

  • 120 gm flour

  • 12 gm melted butter

  • ½ egg yolk (save rest of egg for custard)

  • ½ tsp sugar

  • Pinch of salt

  • 50 ml water

Method

1. Prepare butter dough: cut butter into small pieces and mix with flour until a soft dough is formed. Wrap with cling film and pat into a small flat square block. Place in the fridge to chill.

2. Prepare water dough: Mix all ingredients until a dough is formed. If the mixture is too dry, add 1 teaspoon of water at a time.

3. Roll out water dough to a large square. Place butter dough in the centre and wrap up with water dough. The water dough must completely encase the butter dough.

4. Do a 3 x 4 x 4 fold for a flaky pastry:

• Use rolling pin to flatten dough with light strokes before rolling out to a large square.

• Fold top edge to the middle of the dough and fold bottom edge over the top (there should be 3 folds).  Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for 15 mins to chill.

• Roll out to a square and fold each edge to the middle; then fold together to make 4 folds. Cover again and leave in the fridge for 15 mins to chill.

• Repeat above step: Roll out to a square and fold each edge to the middle; then fold together to make 4 folds. Cover and leave in the fridge for 15 mins to chill.

• Roll out to 3 mm thick and cut rounds of pastry to fit the holes in a muffin tray.

Custard Filling

 Ingredients

• 2 eggs

• ½ egg (leftover from pastry)

• 110 ml milk

• 2 Tbsp evaporated milk

• ½ tsp vanilla essence

• 48 gm sugar

• 20 ml hot water

Method

1. Dissolve sugar in hot water. Leave to cool.

2. Whisk eggs with milk and vanilla essence.

3. Add cooled sugar water into egg mixture and mix well.

4. Strain through a fine sieve.

Assembly & Baking

1. Place pastry round into the hole of muffin tray. Press gently into the space, lifting the pastry above the top of the muffin hole. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork - this will allow air to escape preventing the pastry from rising up.

2. Fill the pastry cups with egg mixture to 80 % full.

3. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 15 mins.

4. Reduce temperature to 180°C and bake for another 10 mins. Serve immediately. Cover any leftover and leave (if overnight) in the fridge.