Hong Kong style Egg Tarts
These classic Hong Kong-style egg tarts boast a beautifully crumbly shortcrust pastry shell filled with a silky, barely-set sweet egg custard that simply melts in your mouth. Influenced by British custard tarts and perfected in traditional Cantonese bakeries, this 'quintessential' treat perfectly balances a crisp, buttery exterior with a rich, delicately sweetened wobbly centre you will certainly want to savour again and again.
Cuisines
Cooking Instructions
Cooking: 20 minutes
Notes:
Ground almonds added to the shortcrust dough enhance the buttery richness and crumbly texture of the pastry shell.
Do not reduce the sugar in the custard recipe as sugar dilutes the egg proteins, ensuring the custard bakes smoothly without scrambling or curdling in the hot oven.
Vanilla extract can be added to the egg custard to mellow the rich egg flavour if preferred.
Prepare Custard Base
In a bowl or measuring jug, dissolve the caster sugar and pinch of salt into the warm water. Stir in the evaporated milk and allow to cool slightly.
Whisk and Strain Custard
Whisk the eggs gently in a separate bowl using a fork or whisk to break them down without creating excessive foam. Slowly pour the warm sugar and milk mixture into the eggs in a steady stream, whisking constantly to temper. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a jug, cover with cling film, and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours until cold.
Make Shortcrust Dough
In a mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, caster sugar, salt, and ground almonds. Add the cold, cubed butter and rub it into the dry ingredients using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with small butter specks. Add the beaten egg and cold water, pressing gently until a cohesive dough forms. Wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Shape Tart Shells
Divide the chilled shortcrust dough into 8 equal portions. Press each piece evenly into the bottom and up the sides of ungreased metal egg tart tins, trimming any excess pastry along the top edges. Place the lined tins onto a baking tray and chill for 15 minutes.
Bake and Serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Pour the cold egg custard into the prepared tart shells until nearly full. Bake on the lowest oven shelf for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the custard is just set with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before serving warm.
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Ingredients
| Caster Sugar | 60g |
| Warm Water | 120ml |
| Salt | 1 pinch |
| Evaporated Milk | 30ml |
| Eggs | 2 |
| Plain Flour | 150g |
| Caster Sugar | 15g |
| Salt | ¼ tsp |
| Ground Almonds | 15g |
| Butter | 90g |
| Egg | 12g |
| Cold Water | 1 tbsp |
