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Egg Tarts are cute little tarts (usually about 3 inches in diameter) of delicate buttery flaky pastry crust filled with a silky-smooth egg custard. They’re buttery, soft, lightly sweet, and such a delicious dessert treat.
This recipe comes to us from the America’s Test Kitchen cookbook, A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 recipes from China & Not China (but still really Chinese). I was provided a copy of the cookbook from the publisher, but my opinions are my own.
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
A Very Chinese Cookbook
If you’re interested in Chinese cuisine, whether you’re new to cooking it at home, or have cooked for many years, this {affiliate link} A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 recipes from China & Not China (but still really Chinese) is a must. The recipes are approachable and easy to understand.
From American-Chinese classics like General Tso’s Chicken to Sichuan street foods like Dan Dan Mian, this book has them all. Even Hong Kong dim sum favorites like Shu Mai and there’s even a magic trick with fortune cookies!
It’s filled with tips, techniques, stories, and ingredient guides. Not to mention over 100 ATK recipes!
I’ll be trying the Scallion Oil Noodles page 147 and the Scallion Pancakes page 62 really soon.
Tarts
These tarts are called dan tat in Cantonese. They’re often found in dim sum restaurants and at Chinese bakeries, but you can easily make them at home with common ingredients.
ATK notes in the book, “Popularized in Guangzhou in the early 20th century, egg tarts are steeped in both European and Chinese traditions – as are many baked goods of the region.
“There’s a bit of English in the baked custard filling, some French in the short crust or puff pastry shell, and surely some Portuguese from the very similar pastel de nata.
“And the Cantonese love a steamed egg custard. All those influences come together in a flaky, sweet, not-too-indulgent pastry.”
Tart pans
This recipe uses twelve individual 3-inch egg tart pans or other 3-inch tart pans. Fluted and smooth pans will both work. I used these fluted pans with removable bottoms from {affiliate} Amazon. The removable bottoms made it super easy to unmold the tarts after they were baked.
A 12-cup muffin tin can be substituted for individual pans; you’ll need to pleat the dough disks around the edge to create a uniform fit.
How to make
These little tarts are so good. Lightly sweet, eggy, full of flavor. They’re a little bit of work to make, but so worth it.
And, do yourself a favor and make the crust from scratch (don’t go with a store-bought crust here).
I’ve always believed that crust is crust, and that store bought was just fine. But let me tell you, after trying this pastry crust, I’m a believer in fresh homemade pastry crust. And this might just be my new go to crust for everything!
The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.
For the crust:
Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds.
Scatter butter over top and pulse until butter pieces are size of small peas, about 10 pulses. Continue to pulse, slowly streaming in ice water, until dough begins to form small curds that hold together when pinched with fingers, about 10 pulses.
Transfer mixture to lightly floured counter and gather into rectangular-shaped pile. Starting at farthest end, use heel of lightly floured hand to smear small amount of dough against counter. Continue to smear dough until all crumbs have been worked. Gather smeared crumbs together in another rectangular-shaped pile and repeat process.
Form dough into 5-inch square, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
Pro tip: If the dough becomes too soft at any point while rolling and shaping, refrigerate until firm to the touch, about 10 minutes, before proceeding.
roll and shape dough
Evenly space twelve 3-inch metal tart pans on parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and spray with vegetable oil spray; set aside.
Divide dough in half. working with 1 half of dough at a time, roll into 12 by 8-inch rectangle on lightly floured counter.
The dough should be thin when it’s rolled out. It will puff up and expand as it bakes. This crust is somewhere between puff pastry and pie crust – delicate and flaky but with lots of flavor.
Using 4-inch round dough cutter, cut out 6 dough rounds.
You can either use a straight edge cutter or a fluted cutter. You can use the tip of a chopstick or fork to make a crimped edge appearance around the rim tart if you like.
Working with I round at a time, center in prepared tart pan and use fingers to press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of pan. Trim any overhang ¼ inch beyond lip of pan.
Repeat with remaining 5 dough rounds and then repeat rolling and shaping 6 more rounds with remaining dough half. Lightly prick shells all over with fork, cover loosely with plastic, and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
For the custard:
How to get bright yellow custard
To make picture-perfect egg tarts, ATK suggests, using {affiliate link} clear vanilla so that the custard stays deep yellow-gold. I used regular vanilla, and am very happy with the color of the custard.
I was sure to buy eggs with dark yellow yolks. How do you know which ones are dark yellow? Sometimes they will say on the carton. Some of it is just trying different brands. I have also found that organic eggs usually have more color than regular eggs.
Make the custard
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400° F.
Whisk water and sugar in bowl until sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
Whisk eggs and yolks, evaporated milk, vanilla, and salt together in separate large bowl. Whisk sugar-water mixture into egg mixture until combined.
Strain egg mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over 4-cup liquid measuring cup or bowl. Straining the custard will help get rid of the air bubbles in the custard.
Divide custard evenly among pastry shells, leaving ¼-inch space below rim of each tart pan. (You may have extra filling.) Make sure to pour the custard into the tart shells from a low height to ensure there are no air bubbles on the surface or under the surface that may rise during the beginning of baking. Using fork or toothpick, pop any large bubbles on surface of custard.
Once filled, immediately, but slowly and carefully, transfer the sheet to the oven, and bake until shells are golden brown and crisp and edges of custard are just set and center of custard jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
Let tarts cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Gently unmold tarts and let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Can these be made ahead?
To make the dough ahead, you can refrigerate the dough up to 2 days, and continue with the recipe when you’re ready to bake.
These tarts are best when eaten on the day they’re made, either warm from the oven or at room temperature. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
The tarts also freeze well. Allow them to cool completely then place them in an airtight container and into the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, let them defrost in the fridge overnight.
I have extra crust dough and filling, what should I do with it?
I found that I had extra crust dough in the scraps as well as extra filling.
You have some options here.
Make more tarts. Feel free to reroll the scraps and cut more circles out of them. I think there was enough dough and filling to make 3 or 4 more tarts. This would require you to have more tart tins. Or, you could use muffin cups or wait for your first batch to be done baking and reuse the tins.
Make separate treats. I choose to bake the extra filling in a ramekin on the side. And I re-rolled the crust into little sticks. I brushed the sticks with the leftover egg white and some melted butter. Then I sprinkled brown sugar on them and baked them up until golden. You could also make lemon sticks.
More Asian bakery items
Food brings people together, and trying new treats is always fun. Be sure to check out these great sweets:
Serve these tarts as dessert after a delicious meal of Teriyaki Salmon Bowl.
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Recipe
Egg Tarts Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 7½ ounces
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled
- 6 tablespoons ice water
Custard
- 1 cup warm water 110° F
- ½ cup granulated sugar 3½ ounces
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
Instructions
Crust
- Process flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until butter pieces are size of small peas, about 10 pulses. Continue to pulse, slowly streaming in ice water, until dough begins to form small curds that hold together when pinched with fingers, about 10 pulses.1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon table salt, 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, 6 tablespoons ice water
- Transfer mixture to lightly floured counter and gather into rectangular-shaped pile. Starting at farthest end, use heel of lightly floured hand to smear small amount of dough against counter. Continue to smear dough until all crumbs have been worked. Gather smeared crumbs together in another rectangular-shaped pile and repeat process. Form dough into 5-inch square, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Evenly space twelve 3-inch metal tart pans on parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and spray with vegetable oil spray; set aside.
- Divide dough in half. working with 1 half of dough at a time, roll into 12 by 8-inch rectangle on lightly floured counter. Using 4-inch round dough cutter, cut out 6 dough rounds. Working with I round at a time, center in prepared tart pan and use fingers to press dough evenly into bottom and up sides of pan. Trim any overhang ¼ inch beyond lip of pan.
- Repeat with remaining 5 dough rounds and then repeat rolling and shaping 6 more rounds with remaining dough half. Lightly prick shells all over with fork, cover loosely with plastic, and refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.
Custard
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400° F.
- Whisk water and sugar in bowl until sugar has dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.1 cup warm water, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Whisk eggs and yolks, evaporated milk, vanilla, and salt together in separate large bowl. Whisk sugar-water mixture into egg mixture until combined.2 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks, ½ cup evaporated milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- Strain egg mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over 4-cup liquid measuring cup or bowl. Straining the custard will help get rid of the air bubbles in the custard.
- Divide custard evenly among pastry shells, leaving ¼-inch space below rim of each tart pan. (You may have extra filling.) Using fork or toothpick, pop any large bubbles on surface of custard.
- Carefully transfer sheet to oven and bake until shells are golden brown and crisp and edges of custard are just set and center of custard jiggles slightly when gently shaken, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking.
- Let tarts cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Gently unmold tarts and let cool on wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Debi
These tarts are full of flavor. The custard filling is soft, silky, and eggy. The pie crust is buttery and flaky. I hope you love these as much as we do! ~ Debi, author, Life Currents
Ellen
These egg tarts were easy to make and a total hit at my dinner party! My guests had never had anything like them before and were totally in awe! Thanks for making me a superstar with my friends. The recipe is a keeper.