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Hong Kong coconut tarts
椰撻 · buttery tartlets with a toasted coconut filling
Next to the wobbling egg tarts in any Hong Kong bakery window sit their sturdier siblings, coconut tarts (yē tāt), with a domed, golden-brown filling of sweetened shredded coconut. Office workers grab one with a milk tea at cha chaan teng tea time around three o'clock, and children love the chewy, macaroon-like centre inside a crumbly, cookie-like butter crust. The filling is just coconut, sugar, egg, butter and a little evaporated milk, with a pinch of baking powder that lifts it into a dome. Overfilling the cases is the usual slip: the coconut rises and spills down the sides, so stop at the rim. Chef's tip: let the filling stand for 15 minutes while you line the tins; the coconut softens and soaks up the liquid, so the tops bake moist instead of scorching.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 8 oz plain flour
- 1 ¾ oz icing sugar
- 4 ½ oz unsalted buttercold, cubed
- 1 eggbeaten
- 1 pinch salt
For the filling
- 5 ½ oz desiccated coconutunsweetened
- 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ⅛ oz unsalted buttermelted
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rub 4 ½ oz unsalted butter into 8 oz plain flour, 1 ¾ oz icing sugar and 1 pinch salt until sandy. Add three quarters of 1 egg and press into a dough, adding the rest only if it stays dry. Flatten, wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
25 minStep 2: Whisk 2 eggs, 3 ⅛ oz caster sugar, 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butter, ¼ cup evaporated milk and ½ tsp vanilla extract, then stir in 5 ½ oz desiccated coconut and ½ tsp baking powder. Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 3: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) and put a baking tray inside to heat.
Step 4: Roll the pastry 3 mm thick and cut 9 cm rounds. Press them into 12 tartlet tins or a muffin tin, pushing the pastry slightly above the rims, and prick the bases with a fork.
10 minStep 5: Spoon the filling into the cases, levelling it with the rim, not above it.
Step 6: Set the tins on the hot tray and bake for 20–25 minutes, until the filling has domed and is a deep golden brown, and the pastry edges are golden. If the tops darken too fast, lay a sheet of foil over them for the last 5 minutes.
23 minStep 7: Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then ease them out. Eat warm or at room temperature on the day, or keep for 2 days in a tin.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hong Kong coconut tarts take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of icing sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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