Description
This Egg Tart recipe features a flaky, buttery crust enveloping a smooth, creamy custard filling made from egg yolks, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. Perfectly baked to achieve golden edges and set custard centers, these tarts are a delightful treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 3 1/2 ounces sour cream (plus additional if needed)
Custard Filling
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/4 cup condensed milk
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pulse ingredients: In a food processor, combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold cubed butter. Pulse the mixture until it becomes crumbly with butter pieces slightly larger than peas.
- Form dough: Transfer the crumbly mixture to a bowl and add sour cream. Gently fold by hand to bring the dough together, adding an extra tablespoon of sour cream at a time if the dough feels dry. Work the dough into a ball using your hands.
- Roll dough: Refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes. Then, place it between two parchment sheets and roll into a ¼- to ½-inch thick square.
- Fold dough: Fold the dough into thirds by bringing the left side over one-third, then folding the right side over the left. Cover and freeze the folded dough for 10 minutes.
- Repeat folding: Remove dough from freezer, rotate so the long side faces you, roll out to a ¼- to ½-inch thick square again, and fold into thirds as before. Freeze for an additional 15 minutes.
- Shape crusts: Grease a standard metal muffin pan or silicone molds. Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness and cut out circles with a round cookie cutter. Press circles into molds to form cups, then pierce the dough bottoms several times with a fork.
- Whisk custard: In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Strain mixture: Pour the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps for a silky texture.
- Fill shells: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour custard into tart shells, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake tarts: Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F. Then reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes until custard is set and edges are golden brown.
- Cool tarts: Allow tarts to cool in the pan for a few minutes before unmolding. Let them rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before serving to let the custard fully set.
Notes
- Using cold butter and folding the dough multiple times creates a flaky crust texture similar to puff pastry.
- Make sure to prick the tart dough bottoms before filling to prevent puffing during baking.
- If dough feels too dry, add sour cream gradually to avoid over-moistening.
- Silicone molds yield a softer crust compared to metal muffin tins.
- Allow tarts to cool completely for best custard consistency and flavor.
- Leftover tarts can be stored refrigerated for up to 2 days and warmed slightly before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: egg tart, custard tart, Chinese dessert, flaky crust, baked custard
