Chinese Egg Tarts

Chinese Egg Tarts, one of the best Chinese desserts among the dim sum spread in Cantonese cuisine.

Chinese Egg Tarts - a simple tart with a silky egg yolk custard in crisp pastry shells that are found in bakeries, kopitiams and on dim sum carts.

Last night, it was all quiet at home with Bella off to a sleepover at a friend's home and Jamie tucked in bed already. I decided to make some egg tarts while Kian hangs out with me in the kitchen over a glass of wine. Ok, maybe we had 2 glasses each. Or 3? Never mind, I digressed.

Egg tarts (baked pastries crusts filled with egg custard) are most recognizable in Singapore's dim sum restaurants and bakeries. Often consumed as a dessert or snack, egg tarts are made from a few basic ingredients - eggs, flour, sugar, butter and milk; all of which could already in your pantry and refrigerator. Other variations of eggs tarts that is popular is the Portuguese style ones - an adaptation of pastel de nata and the ones with flaky pastries.
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The ones I made is the Chinese traditional ones that have a buttery pastry crust and a soft & extremely smooth, melt-in-your mouth custard. And like so many Singaporean dishes, you can have them at any time of the day. They go really well with coffee or tea. And perhaps wine. 

Chinese Egg Tarts
inspired by "Snapguide"

Recipe
Pastry Ingredients
5 oz Chilled Salted Butter (cut into cubes)
1 3/4 cup Flour (sieved)
2 tbsp Sugar
1 egg

Egg Custard Ingredients
3 eggs (whole)
1 egg white
2/3 cup Sugar
1 cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2/3 cup Hot Water

Cooking Method
1. Prepare pastry first. Using finger tips only, rub chilled butter into flour in a large bowl until it resembles bread crumbs.
2. Add sugar and egg into the mixture and knead until a soft dough is formed.
3. Wrap dough with clear plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 20 to 30 min.
4. Prepare the egg custard mixture. Beat all eggs together and set aside.
5. Mix sugar, milk, vanilla extract and hot water in a large bowl until well mixed and sugar has dissolved.
6. Add egg mixture in to the milk mixture and mix well.
7. Pour mixture through  sieve to remove egg chunks. The mixture will be runny. Set aside.
8. Roll dough with a rolling pin till it is about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 3 inch diameter circles and place them into muffin tray cups. Press them in gently, ensuring that there is no air trapped in-between the dough and tray to form a pastry cup.
9. Gently pour in egg mixture into the pastry cups.
10. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 min. Watch the tarts closely, ensuring that they don't over bake.

Makes 12 tarts.