Let's talk about Cantonese egg tarts

My love of eggs goes way back...all the way back as a child eating egg tarts.  Are you familiar with them?  These little egg tarts are a classic from Hong Kong, where I was born.  You can find them here in Chinese bakeries and at some dim sum restaurants (I ate a lot of dim sum growing up; it was something of a ritual for my mother).  We eat egg tarts any time of day, whether at breakfast or midday as a snack.  With Chinese New Year a couple of days away, I thought it was a perfect time for me to try making a batch of my very own.

When it comes to childhood favorites (and I admit I have many), these Cantonese egg tarts are right up there with those little red bean pudding cakes.  I loved them as a kid and my preference has always been for the ones set in a sweet, crispy, shortbread cookie-like crust, as opposed to puff pastry. I've wanted to make them at home for a long time.  Even though I can actually buy them pretty easily (and inexpensively, at little more than a dollar each), the idea of producing a batch in my own kitchen has been something of an aspiration.  I suppose it's natural for those of us who love to bake/cook to want to recreate things we love to eat with our own two hands.

For me, there'd always been some angst at the thought of making these little egg tarts.  The idea almost seemed "scary", which is interesting and odd because when I stepped back and thought about it, we're really only talking about a sweet pastry crust and a variety of egg custard.  I've certainly made both of these - albeit separately - before.  But I think the angst comes from fear of messing up something that's pretty special in my mind.  Egg tarts are all wrapped up in my food memories and I suppose I may have felt that anything I made should live up to the amazing, warm egg tarts of my youth - the kind that I probably had too few of but somehow lives on in my mind.

It was time to stop being silly and to check this off my want-to-do list.  For my first attempt at these egg tarts, I used the recipe I found at The Missing Lokness.  I had looked for, found, and bookmarked a few recipes before I found hers.  You see...the problem is I can't read or write in Chinese and I had trouble finding an easy to follow recipe in English.  I got lucky when I found her post.  The only addition I made was adding a little vanilla extract to the custard.

I have to tell you I feel such a sense of happiness (and a little relief) at accomplishing these egg tarts!  The process was not without drama though.  I was worried because I made the mistake of stretching my crust too thin.  It was my fault for not following instructions better!  I took the crust all the way to the top of the mold instead of 1/4 inch shy of the upper edge as the recipe says.  I read that but reflexes took over and I didn't realize my mistake until they were done.

I was afraid the tarts wouldn't unmold or the crust might break apart because of the thin edges. Luckily, very luckily, the tarts unmolded!  As you can no doubt tell, the fluted edges are fragile but I only had one small piece break off from one of the six tarts.  I was so relieved - and once again reminded that it's simply best to plow on in the face of problems and that things somehow usually work out in the end.  

And taste-wise, it was the real McCoy - a tender, crisp, buttery crust with a lightly sweetened creamy, eggy filling.  Maybe an egg tart doesn't appeal to everyone but it is really precious to me. And the best thing about making them at home is being able to enjoy the tarts warm from the oven, as fresh as it gets.  They might not compare to those truly authentic, fragrant egg tarts found along the streets of Hong Kong but it is certainly a worthy at-home endeavor.

I made these egg tarts Saturday morning and thought I'd extend breakfast into a Hong Kong tea shop eats theme by also making toast with condensed milk.  It's a classic Hong Kong breakfast concoction, made simply with white toast, a little salted butter and a slathering of sweetened condensed milk.  As you can tell, we had a sweet start that morning.

Warning: I have a lot (too much) to say on the topic of egg tarts!

Preparing to make these Cantonese egg tarts, I did a little research to satisfy my curiosity about them. I'll share some of what I learned for anyone interested:

As it turns out, Cantonese egg tarts are something of a spin-off of Portuguese egg tarts, introduced in Macau, once a Portuguese colony (until 1999).  Neighboring Hong Kong was once a British colony (until 1997) and through the influence/confluence of both the Portuguese and British, the Cantonese egg tart was born and became a staple at Hong Kong-style tea shops, which specialize in a fusion of Cantonese and Western-style fare at low prices.  I still love eating at one of these tea shops when I can find one and now that we're on the subject of Macau, I can remember many delicious things we ate in Hong Kong originating from Macau, which was a ferry ride away.

What's the difference between Portuguese and Cantonese egg tarts?  The two are similar but the Portuguese ones are distinguished by a signature dark, caramelized, creme brulee-like, top and always a puff pastry shell.  The Cantonese egg tarts do not have a dark top (it's got a glossy clear surface instead) and can have either a puff pastry or shortbread crust and is a bit more "eggy" and firm in texture.

I've not had many Portuguese egg tarts but I've certainly eaten loads of Cantonese ones.  And the thing is, these egg tarts are really simple - a buttery crust and a lightly sweetened egg custard filling - and that simplicity may be the very reason for its appeal.  Most people have a decided preference when it comes to the crust and mine is for the shortbread.  I just love the tender, crisp, sweet cookie crust against that familiar egg custard filling.  So, so good...and the fresher, the better!

Now that we got that short history out of the way, let's get cooking!  Here's a rundown of what I learned...

The crust

Let's start with the tart tins themselves.  You need ones about 3-inches in width and 1-1/2 inches deep.  Getting the right tins was one reason it took me so long to work on this project but Lokness at The Missing Lokness was kind enough to point me to inexpensive ones available at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  You can also use disposable tins in roughly the same size (ususally a little more shallow), often used by bakeries and restaurants, as I had first considered.

Plan A: Make 7 tarts (as per recipe) total, including one slightly smaller one 

The recipe is supposed to make enough dough for 7 tarts, or 6 if you want a thicker crust.  I had initially planned to make 6 tarts (since that's the number of tins I invested in) and a slightly smaller seventh using a disposable tin.  I quickly realized I didn't have enough dough and switched gears to make 6 tarts instead.

Plan B: Make 6 tarts because I didn't seem to have enough dough (I made the mistake of taking the dough up to the edge instead of 1/4 inch below)

Now, here's the major mistake I made (so you don't do what I did!).  I started shaping the dough into the tin, pressing and turning and taking it to the top, like you typically would for any tart shell you're making.  (Otherwise, how would you get an even, smooth edge, I reasoned!)  

Well, this recipe actually says to go 1/4-inch shy of the top of the tin.  For some reason, that just didn't resonate with me and I didn't stop to consider the instructions say that for a reason!  I was really in the zone because I have to confess that I take an exorbitant amount of time pressing dough into a tart (I know I shouldn't but I can't help myself).  All I can say is at least I switched gears to make 6 rather than 7 tarts (so I had a little more dough to work with) and thank goodness for relatively forgiving recipes!  

I chilled these overnight to use first thing in the morning

I was worried about my thin fluted edges but it was too late to correct it.  All I could do was cross my fingers and hope they hold up.

Another thing I'll point out is the recipe instructs you to poke a few holes into the pastry. This is another example where reading too many recipes, researching too much, can completely muddle you (or me, anyway)!  I'd read someplace else that you should not poke holes or the filling could leak out.  And most recipes I looked up did not call for docking the crust.  I have to admit I only docked the crust of 2 of the 6 tarts.  In the end, I found no noticeable difference in docking vs. not.  I did have one tart with a concave bottom.  I'm pretty sure it was one that had not been docked with a fork.  This isn't all that conclusive though because the other 5 were just fine.  I'll say that if you do dock the pastry, do so lightly.  I don't think leaking custard is a big concern.

Lastly, I'll note that you do not pre-bake these tarts.  This concerned me a bit (see what I mean by "angst"!) because I'm used to pre-baking pastry crusts.  A couple of recipes did call for a brief pre-baking of the shells but most did not.  I decided to stick with the recipe I was using and not pre-bake.  I'd messed around with the recipe enough already!


The egg custard filling

The interesting thing about this egg custard filling is the first step of making a sugar syrup and adding it, cooled, into the mixture of eggs and a little evaporated milk.  I think this method of adding sugar syrup makes for a smooth custard and that signature shiny top.  The recipe actually did not include vanilla extract but I added a generous 1/4 teaspoon because I really like it.

It's important to strain the custard through a sieve before filling the tarts to remove the air bubbles on the surface and to get rid of any lumps.  The goal is for as smooth as surface as possible.

Fill the tarts about 80% full with the custard.  It will bubble up slightly as it finishes baking.  

Then set it carefully in a 375 degree oven.  I placed it in the lower third of my oven (to hopefully cook the bottom of the tart well - something I'd read in other recipes).  The instructions call for 18-22 minutes baking time but mine actually took closer to 30 minutes to be done.  In other words, it's important to look for clues to doneness instead of relying on the clock.  The filling should be dry, mostly set, and puffed up slightly.  The crust should be golden.  I'd read somewhere that if a toothpick stands up in the custard, it's done.  I had to try it (but note you will have a little hole in your custard surface).

If a toothpick stands up in the custard, it's done!

I almost couldn't believe I'd gotten this far!  Now, the final challenge/concern was how to unmold the tarts...

Baked!  They've got that signature glossy wet top but it's set in the center

The tarts seemed pretty firmly glued to their tins.  Luckily, instructions to tap the bottom of the tins to remove them worked!!  I was so happy because I really wasn't sure they would come out in one piece.  I only had one little fluted edge break off from one tart so I can't complain given my mistake(s).  

Very grateful the tarts came out of their tins

So what do you think?  A little too much drama around a humble little egg tart?  Maybe...but I really had to get that off my chest!  I'm also really glad I finally tackled them and I have a feeling there will be far less drama next time around.  That's one of the best part of learning - the experience teaches you so much.  And I really want to make these again - minus the mistakes!

Well, I know that's more than you ever wanted to see or know about Chinese egg tarts so I'll stop here.  Have a great day and I hope you indulge in one of your childhood favorites soon!


Recipe: 

Cantonese Egg Tarts
Adapted from recipe posted at The Missing Lokness

- For 6 tarts - 

Tart tins that are 3-inches wide and 1-1/2 inches deep are recommended for these egg tarts.  I bought them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  If you can't find that, you could consider using similar size disposable tart tins.  I find those tins are generally a little less deep so you should be able to make an extra tart.

For the pastry crusts:
115 grams cake flour, sifted
70 grams butter, at room temperature
20 grams powdered sugar
10 grams evaporated milk
1/2 large egg yolk, at room temperature

For the egg custard filling:
145 ml water
45 grams granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
40 grams evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Make pastry crusts: Beat butter and powdered sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the 1/2 egg yolk and mix together.  Add evaporated milk and beat well, scraping the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl.  On low-speed, add flour gradually and mix until dough begins to come together.  Using your hands, lightly press the dough together to form a ball.  Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap, form it into a round disk, and chill the dough for 30 minutes.

Divide dough into 6 equal portions.  Roll each portion into a ball and then flatten it into a disk between the palms of your hands.  Place the disk into the tart and press the dough into and up the tart tin, stopping about 1/4 inch below the top edge of the tin (if you take the crust all the way to the top of the tin like I mistakenly did, the sides of your tart might be too thin and you risk breakage when you try to unmold them).  Lightly poke a few holes into the crust with a fork.  Repeat with remaining and then chill tarts in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or overnight (I wrapped them in plastic wrap on a baking sheet and chilled overnight).

Make egg custard filling: Start by making a simple sugar syrup.  Bring water  to a boil in a small saucepan.  Lower the heat and add sugar, mixing until sugar completely melts.  Set aside to cool completely (I did this the night before along with the tart crusts).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven.

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together.  Then gently whisk in evaporated milk, the cooled sugar syrup, and vanilla extract.  Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve.  Remove any remaining air bubbles on top of the custard with a spoon.  

Bake tarts: Set tart tins on a baking sheet.  Divide the custard among the tarts, filling the tarts 80% full with the mixture (it will puff up a bit during baking).  Bake until the egg custard has puffed up a bit, is mostly set, and the crust is golden, roughly 18-22 minutes (or up to 30 minutes, like mine took).  In general, keep a close eye on the tarts, particularly near the end of the baking time to avoid over browning; some tarts may be done before others.  You can test the custard's readiness by placing a toothpick into it; if the toothpicks stands straight, the custard is set (but note this will have a hole on the surface of your custard).  

Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes.  To unmold, tap the bottom of tart tin lightly on your work surface.  Carefully turn it over and remove the tart from its tin.  Serve immediately, while still warm, for best taste.

Egg tarts can be stored, covered at room temperature, for up to 2 days.  You could also refrigerate the tarts.  Bring back to room temperature or refresh them by warming in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes before eating.