Hong Kong Egg Tart 蛋撻

I admit that making egg tart in puff pastry is quite a challenge, especially in the summer. Roll out the dough, fold, refrigerate, repeat... it requires not just skill but a lot of patience, but making it in butter dough is a lot easier. I usually make a big batch of the dough and keep it in the freezer. Whenever my family feels like having egg tart for a snack or dessert, then I will beat up some eggs and it will be ready in a very short time.

Ingredients for ten 7cm/2¾ inches tarts

Crust:
113g/1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
14g/ 1 tbsp sugar
175g/1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 large egg yolk
25g/1½ tbsp whole milk

1)  Beat softened butter in a large bowl using a handheld mixer until it is creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
2)  Add sugar and continue beating for another minute.
3)  Add egg yolk and mix and mix until it is blended.
4)  Add flour and blend well. Use your hands to form the mass into a disc. Wrap it and store in the refrigerator for at least an hour. It may be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for a month.

Egg custard:
2 large eggs
60g/¼ cup warm water
40g/3 tbsp milk
70g/6 tbsp sugar

Dissolve sugar in warm water. In a separate bowl, slight beat eggs. Mix the egg, syrup and milk. Strain it through a sieve. Set aside.

1)  Preheat oven to 400⁰F.
2)  Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Press each piece onto a mold. Using your thumb, press down and then upward so the dough covers the sides. Turn the mold around as you press. Apply equal pressure until it forms a rim around the mold.
3)  Fill it with the egg custard to about 80% full. Do not overfill. It will expand in the oven.

6)  Bake at 400F for 10 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350⁰F for 10-13 minutes longer. Serve warm.

蛋撻

在炎炎夏日做酥皮蛋撻真是一件不簡單的差事,水皮包油皮,捍完又要摺,摺完又要捍,放完雪柜後又再重覆,又重覆...小一點耐性也不行!反之做牛油曲奇皮便容易得多,不須十分鐘便可以做好然後放雪柜了,又可以一次過做多些放入冰箱,隨時想食蛋撻,只須做些蛋液,很快便有香滑的甜品上檯了。

此份量可做約10個七厘米/二又四份三寸大撻

牛油曲奇餅皮:
無鹽牛油  113g/一條, 室温
糖  14g/一湯匙
麵粉  175g/一又二分一杯
大蛋黄  一個
牛奶  25g/一湯匙半

先做餅皮:
1)  用攪拌器打牛油至軟滑,約一分鐘,加糖再打一分鐘。
2)  加蛋黄及奶攪勻,再加麵粉拌勻成團,放雪柜至少一小時至硬身(可放三天或放冰格一個月)。

蛋液:
大蛋  二隻
温水  60g/四分一杯
牛奶  40g/三湯匙
糖  60g/五湯匙

糖加温水攪至溶,蛋在另一碗輕手打勻,再加奶、糖水攪勻,隔篩備用。

1)  預熱焗爐至400⁰F。
2)  將餅皮平均分成十份,將一份放入模內,輕手往模內壓下及向邊壓,邊壓邊轉模,力度要均匀。
3)  將蛋液倒入至八成滿,入400F爐焗十分鐘,將爐火轉低至350⁰F,再焗約十至十三分鐘便成,不可過熟。