Hong Kong egg tarts
Crumbly butter pastry cases with a smooth, wobbly yellow custard
ChineseDaan taat are the pride of Hong Kong bakeries and cha chaan teng, where they come out of the oven several times a day and are eaten warm with a glass of milk tea. Unlike Portuguese tarts, the custard stays smooth, glossy and bright yellow with no scorched top, and this version uses a buttery shortcrust (lard is traditional in some bakeries; we use only butter). Chef's tip: strain the custard twice and skim off every bubble; that's what gives the mirror-smooth surface.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 7 oz plain flourplus extra for dusting
- 1 ⅜ oz icing sugar
- 4 oz cold unsalted butterdiced
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tbsp cold water
For the custard
- 2 ½ oz caster sugar
- ¾ cup hot water
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rub 4 oz cold unsalted butter into 7 oz plain flour and 1 ⅜ oz icing sugar until it looks like breadcrumbs. Mix in 1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp cold water and press into a dough; don't knead. Wrap and chill for 20 minutes.
Step 2: Dissolve 2 ½ oz caster sugar in ¾ cup hot water and let it cool to lukewarm.
Step 3: Whisk 2 eggs gently (don't froth them), then stir in the sugar syrup, ¼ cup evaporated milk and ½ tsp vanilla extract. Strain twice through a fine sieve and skim off any bubbles.
Step 4: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Divide the pastry into 12 balls and press each into a fluted tart tin or a 12-hole muffin tin, pushing it 2 mm above the rim. Chill while the oven heats.
Step 5: Fill the cases nearly to the top with custard. Bake for 10 minutes, then lower to 350°F (325°F fan) and bake for 10–15 minutes more, until the pastry is golden and the custard wobbles only slightly in the centre.
25 minStep 6: Common mistake: baking too hot for too long; the custard puffs, cracks and turns spongy. If you see it rising up, open the oven door for 10 seconds to let the heat out.
Step 7: Cool for 10 minutes before easing out of the tins. Best eaten warm, the same day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 190 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does hong Kong egg tarts take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 35 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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