We don’t know whether this humble pastry came about through an English version of a custard tart in Hong Kong or a Macau version of Portugese ‘Pastéis de nata’ or whether they were around even earlier. Regardless, they are now an icon, a foodie mascot on any dim sum menu. What a way to end our Chinese-themed recipes this February.
Ingredients
TART SHELLS:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar (125g)
3 cups all-purpose flour (375g)
1 cup butter (225g)
1 egg, beaten
1 dash vanilla extract
FILLING:
2/3 cup white sugar (135g)
1 1/2 cups water (340g)
9 eggs, beaten
1 dash vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk (240g)
Directions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners’ sugar and flour. Mix in butter with a fork until it is in small crumbs. Stir in the egg and vanilla until the mixture forms a dough. The texture should be slightly moist. Add more butter if it is too dry, or more flour, if the dough seems greasy. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and press the balls into tart molds so that it covers the bottom, and goes up higher than the sides. Use 2 fingers to shape the edge into an A shape. (Me: dough = 32g x 12 and custard = 42g x 12)
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) (Me: 200 degrees). Combine the white sugar and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain the eggs through a sieve, and whisk into the sugar mixture. Stir in the evaporated milk and vanilla. Strain the filling through a sieve, and fill the tart shells. 3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown, and the filling is puffed up a little bit.
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Recipe: Amy Oh
Photo Credit: avlxyz
