Macau Portuguese Egg Tarts
Smooth, creamy, and decadent egg tarts. The crust is more similar to Hong Kong egg tarts. To make the process faster, store bought puff pastry can always be used.
Makes 12.
Ingredients:
Crust
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp water
Custard
220g (220 ml) heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
60g (4-2/3 tbsp) sugar
160g (160 ml) whole milk
Directions:
1) Combine flour, cold butter, salt, egg yolk, sugar, and water with a fork until everything besides the butter is evenly combined.
2) Use hands to knead until the mixture forms into a dough. Work fast to prevent butter from melting. If the mixture gets too sticky, the butter has heated up too much. If this happens, place in fridge for awhile before continuing.
3) Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and place in fridge for 20-30 minutes.
4) While dough is chilling, make the custard.
5) Heat heavy cream, milk, and sugar on low/med heat until all sugar is dissolved.
6) In another bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks.
7) Once milk mixture cools, whisk into the egg yolks while stirring fast.
8) Strain the mixture.
9) Add vanilla extract and give it a final stir. Set aside.
10) Next, flour surface and roll the dough into a 2 mm “rectangle.”
11) Fold it into thirds, roll into a 2mm layer again, and fold into thirds again.
12) Place into fridge for 20-30 min.
13) Repeat steps 4-6 again.
14) Roll dough into 2 mm rectangle.
15) Use a cookie cutter or back of cup to cut 12 circles, roughly ~8cm in diameter.
16) Press each circle into the muffin tin. Make sure dough covers the sides well. Keep the bottoms thin (as long as dough isn’t breaking, bottom can be almost see-through and still be thick enough after baking) and sides on the thicker side. They don’t have to look perfect.
17) Place muffin tin into fridge for 15-20 min.
18) Preheat oven to 450F.
19) After 20 min, take muffin tin out of fridge.
20) Poke light, shallow holes at the bottom of each crust using fork.
21) Pour mixture into each egg tart tin until 3/4 full.
22) Bake for 15-20 min at 450F until crust is golden brown and custard has brown spots.
23) Let cool before popping from muffin tin.