Recipe: Hong Kong Egg Tarts

By CiCi Li

INGREDIENTS

Dough Ÿ 12 teaspoons butter, room temperature Ÿ 4 tablespoons powdered sugar Ÿ 1 large egg Ÿ 2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling Ÿ 1 cup (240 grams) hot water Ÿ 6 tablespoons white sugar Ÿ 1/2 cup evaporated milk Ÿ 4 large eggs Ÿ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

Egg Tart Shells Add room-temperature butter to a mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer for 2 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and whisk for 2 minutes. Add in the egg and whisk. Sift in 1 cup of all-purpose flour and whisk again. Sift in another cup of flour, and mix with a wooden spoon until a crumbly texture is achieved. Knead the mixture until it forms a ball of dough, about 3 minutes. Place the dough in a Ziploc bag and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, flatten the dough with a rolling pin before rolling it to about 1/5inch thick. Cut out egg tart shells with an egg tart mold or a cookie-cutter. For the leftover dough, combine into a ball, roll it out, and cut it into additional egg tart shells.

Place the dough sheets in the mold. Use your fingers to shape dough so it fits the mold and the edge sits slightly higher than the mold. Chill the finished tart shells in the refrigerator.

Filling In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in 1 cup of hot water. Let the mixture cool for about 30 minutes. Add in the eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk together. Strain the mixture twice.

Heat the oven to 400°F. Transfer the molds to a baking pan. Pour the filling into the egg tart shells until about 80 percent full. Place the baking pan on the lower third of your oven, and bake for 10 minutes. lower the heat to 325°F and bake for another 10 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door a bit to allow the tarts to cool and rest for 5 minutes.

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSTOCK