Chinese Custart Tarts Food

EGG CUSTARD TARTS

Steps:

• Make the puff pastry: Cut the butter into 3/4 cup flour in a medium bowl with a fork, then knead with your hands until the dough comes together. Transfer the "oil dough" to a piece of plastic wrap and pat into a 7 1/2-inch square; wrap in the plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix the egg, water and remaining 3/4 cup flour in a separate bowl, then knead with your hands until the dough comes together, adding more flour as needed if the dough is too sticky. Transfer the "water dough" to a piece of plastic wrap; wrap in the plastic and refrigerate 20 minutes.
• Unwrap the "water dough" and roll out into an 11-inch square on a lightly floured surface. Place the "oil dough" square on top and turn it so that it looks like a diamond. Fold the sides of the "water dough" over the "oil dough" to enclose completely.
• Roll out the folded dough into an 11-inch square and mark it into thirds. Fold in the outer thirds over the center third, like a letter. Roll out the folded dough into a large square again. Repeat twice (folding like a letter, then rolling into a square), refrigerating the dough as needed if it becomes too soft.
• Mark the square of dough into fourths. Fold the outer fourths into the center, then fold in half like a book and roll out again. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
• Butter 12 small (2 1/2- to 2 3/4-inch-diameter) fluted tart pans. Unwrap the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out circles with a round cutter (about 1/4 inch larger than your tart pans). Refrigerate 20 minutes, then press the dough into the tart pans. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the egg custard: Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Whisk the eggs into the cooled sugar syrup, then stir in the evaporated milk, vanilla and salt. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Arrange the tart pans on a baking sheet. Divide the custard among the pans, filling each about three-quarters full. (Do not overfill or the tarts could overflow; you may not use all of the custard.)
• Bake until the crusts are golden and the filling puffs slightly, about 45 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes in the pans, then carefully tap the bottoms to remove the tarts and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

HONG KONG EGG TARTS

Steps:

• For the butter dough: Put the flour and butter in a food processor and process to a thick, smooth paste, about 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to plastic wrap using a metal spoon and shape into a 5-inch square. Chill in the refrigerator until needed.
• For the water dough: Put the flour, sugar, salt and 3 tablespoons of the beaten egg in the same food processor (reserve the remaining beaten egg for the egg filling). Pulse a few times to combine. Stream in the cold water while pulsing until a ball forms that is shaggy and not sticky, about 2 minutes. Wrap the dough into a rough square with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.
• For the egg filling: While the doughs are resting, put the milk and sugar in a small pot and heat over high heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Let cool completely, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the eggs and reserved beaten egg in a large bowl until no visible egg whites remain, about 1 minute. Whisk in the evaporated milk, vanilla extract and cooled milk mixture. Strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve twice into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup with a spout. Skim off any foam on the surface of the egg filling. Wrap the measuring cup with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until needed.
• Prepare the pastry: Roll the water dough on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin to a 10-inch square. Position the butter dough in the center of the water dough in the shape of a diamond. Wrap the outer dough around the butter layer and seal in the edges; make sure to brush away excess flour with a pastry brush. Roll the dough out to a 6-by-12-inch rectangle. Fold both short sides toward the center and then fold in half like closing a book. Wrap in plastic and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes.
• Roll out the dough to a 6-by-12-inch rectangle with the smooth side of the dough to the left side. Fold both short sides toward the center and then fold in half like closing a book. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes. Repeat this process of folding and resting one more time.
• After the final 20-minute rest, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to an 11-by-14-inch rectangle, slightly thinner than 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out 12 rounds of dough using a 3 1/4-inch round cutter. Stack the rounds with plastic wrap between each layer and chill in the freezer until firm, about 10 minutes.
• Center one dough round onto each of twelve 3-inch egg tart molds and press the dough up the edges of each mold from the bottom to the top, thinning out the bottom. Put the egg tart molds on the prepared baking sheet. Dock the bottom of each dough round 3 times using the tines of a fork. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Carefully pour the egg filling into the 12 tart shells (about 1 1/2 tablespoons in each; there should be about 1/4 inch of space between the egg filling and top edges of the crust). Bake the egg tarts until the crusts are starting to brown around the edges, 20 to 22 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake until the crusts are light golden brown and the fillings have puffed slightly, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool in the oven with the door ajar until the egg filling gently settles back down, about 5 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Remove the egg tarts from the molds and enjoy slightly warm or completely cooled.

CHINESE STYLE EGG CUSTARD TARTS

Steps:

• Direction to make crust.
• Mix sugar, butter and flour.
• Then add egg and vanilla extract.
• Mix well.
• Texture of dough should be slightly moist, not dry (add margarine if too dry), and not oily (add flour if too oily).
• Pull dough and make a ball shape to about 1.
• 5 inch diameter, then press into tart mould, start from the center then push up until it goes higher than the side, then use two fingers to shape the edge to a A shape.
• Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted.
• Cool down to room temperature.
• Add eggs, vanilla extract and evaporated milk.
• Filter the mixture through the strainer.
• Pour into the tart crust.
• Preheat oven for 10 minutes.
• Bake at 230 degrees (C) for 15-20minutes until golden brown and the filling raise up a little bit.

CHINESE CUSTART TARTS

Steps:

• To make the pastry, sift flour and salt into bowl. Rub lard into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Mix in hot water to form a firm dough. Knead lightly on lightly floured surface.
• Roll out 3mm (1/8 inch) thickness. Cut out with an 8cm (3 inch) fluted cutter. Put into greased patty tins.
• Beat together eggs and sugar. Gradually add milk. Mix in food colouring. Mix well.
• Pour custart carefully into prepared pastry cases. Bake in hot oven (250°C/475°F) for 10 minutes, reduce heat to moderately hot (220°C/425°F), cook further 10-15 minutes, until set. Keep an eye on these while cooking, as mine only needed the first 10 minutes.

CHINESE CUSTARD TARTS

Steps:

• 1. To make the pastry sift flour & salt into bowl. Rub lard into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs
• 2. Mix in hot water to form a firm dough. Knead lightly on lightly floured surface.
• 3. Roll out to 1/8in thickness. Cut out with an 3in fluted cutter. Put into greased patty tins.
• 4. Beat together eggs & sugar. Gradually add milk. Mix in food coloring. Mix well. Pour carefully into prepared pastry cases. Bake in hot (425F-450F) oven for 10 minutes, reduce heat to moderately hot (400F), cook further 10 - 15 minutes, until set.