EGG TARTS

I have a weakness for egg tarts. Period. It comes in either puff or shortcrust pastry. Although I like 'em both, but I gotta admit I prefer the shortcrust version. These tarts are satisfaction guaranteed, and I could not believe I ate almost all of 'em.

I chose an egg custard recipe which used fresh milk instead of evaporated milk. It is a matter of preference, and I think the latter will yield a delicious egg custard too.

Pastry recipe adapted from Christine's Recipes

225 gm plain flour
125 gm butter
55 gm icing sugar
1 egg, whisked
a dash of vanilla extract

Custard filling adapted from Aunty Yochana.

280 gm. fresh milk
160 gm. sugar (I reduced to 140 gm)
3 nos. eggs
1 tsp. rum (I omitted it)
1/2 tsp. vanilla essence

For pastry:

1. Place butter at room temperature until softened. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer over medium speed until the mixture is smooth, fluffy and light in color.

2. Add in whisked egg, half at a time, beat over low speed. Add vanilla extract, mix well.

3. Sift in flour in two batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions with a spatula, and make sure all ingredients combine well. Knead into dough.

4. Roll out the dough to a 1/2 cm thickness. Cut dough with a cookie cutter that is just a bit smaller than your tart tin in size. Line dough in the middle of tart tins, one by one. Lightly press the dough with your thumbs, starting from the bottom then up to the sides. While pressing the dough, turn the tart tin clockwise/anti-clockwise in order to make an even tart shell. Trim away any excess dough.

For egg custard:

5. Heat sugar and milk together. Once sugar dissolves, off heat.

6. Whisk eggs and pour into the milk mixture. Do not whisk till frothy.

7. Add in rum and vanilla essence.

8. Sift the egg custard and pour into tart moulds and bake at 175C till egg custard sets.

Baking tarts:

9. Preheat oven to 200C. Position rack in lower third of oven. Bake tarts for 10 to 15 minutes until the edges are lightly brown.

10. Lower the heat to 180C. Keep an eye on them. Once you see the custard being puffed up a bit, pull the oven door open about 2 to 3 inches. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the custard is cooked through. Just insert a toothpick into the custard. If it stands on its own, it’s done.