What is a Hong Kong Egg Tart
Have you tried a Hong Kong egg tart? In China, there are two kinds of egg tarts that are very popular. There’s the Portuguese egg tart which has a caramelized top and a thin layered crispy pastry shell. And then there’s the original, the Hong Kong egg tart that has a milder filling and a pastry crust that is flaky and crumbly. For Hong Kong egg tarts to taste amazingly delicious, you need to get a few components right. I came across my favorite Hong Kong egg tart in a Chinatown bakery. The tart crust is beautifully layered and super thin. It has just the right amount of cripiness, yet it’s tender and moist. The filling is mild, creamy, and just sweet enough to be washed down with a glass of milk. Back in the kitchen, our goal is to recreate the perfect Hong Kong egg tart that resembles what you can get at the Chinese bakery.
Why this recipe
We spent numerous hours testing this recipe with lots of trial and errors. After testing out different methods, we came up with this recipe. This recipe helps you get that layered pastry crust, nice and flaky and crispy. Inside, the custard filling is mildly sweet enough to satisfy while having a luxurious, creamy texture. Compared to other egg tart recipes that simply use pie dough, this dough will take you longer, but you will be rewarded for your efforts. This Chinese pastry dough recipe doesn’t require chilling like regular pie dough does. And it’s pliable and very easy to work with. And as a result, it recreates the crispy yet moist texture of the authentic Chinese pastry.
Read this before you start cooking
General workflow
The recipe might look super long and the folding method can be a bit hard to understand at a glance. That’s why I took a lot of photos and made a video to help you work through the process. To sum things up, you will need to:
Make a water dough (you will need a stand mixer for this)Make an oil doughWrap the oil dough with the water doughThen roll it out and fold it upRepeat the process again, rolling out the dough and folding it up
Then you will get a pastry dough that has super thin layers, does not require refrigeration, and is easy to work with!
Special equipment
Before you begin, you need to get the tinfoil egg tart molds for this recipe. It’s also handy to have a pastry cutter (4 1/2” or 11.5 cm). I recommend it because it will make the whole thing much easier, plus you will have a prettier result. But if you don’t have a pastry cutter, look below to see my method for forming the tart base without it.
Storage
Feel free to make the Hong Kong egg tart dough a few days in advance and then bake it later, depending on when you plan to serve the tarts. However, you should always make the filling fresh (it’s super easy) and assemble the tarts right before cooking.
Cooking process
Prepare the water dough
Use your hands to work the butter into the flourAdd the rest of the ingredients and keep mixing by hand until it forms a dough-like pasteKnead with a stand mixer until you can pull apart the dough to form a semi-transparent sheetShape the dough, then cover it with plastic wrap to rest
NOTE: the water dough will be very moist and sticky when you mix it at the beginning. That’s why it’s best to use a mixer. You might be able to use a pastry cutter to knead it on the counter too, but that method requires some experience and will take a lot longer.
Prepare the oil dough
Add all the ingredients togetherMix with your hands until it forms a doughLet it rest
The oil dough is super easy to put together so no mixer is required.
Assemble the pastry dough
This is the fun part! It is quite straightforward if you look at the pictures below or watch the video. NOTE: This pastry dough does not require chilling but you might need to rest it in the fridge if your room is hot. On the other hand, if you chill the dough while it rests, it might become a bit too stiff to work with and might require a few minutes at room temperature to loosen up. It might sound daunting to make a pastry dough from scratch. But since this process does not require refrigeration or working with a chilled dough, it’s so much easier and faster to put together. And once it’s done, you can either refrigerate it or freeze it for future use.
Prepare the filling
Dissolve sugar in hot water to make a syrupOnce it’s chilled, add the evaporated milk to itBeat the eggs until just mixedAdd the syrup milk mixture to the egg mixture, then mix againDrain the mixture through a sieve
It’s very easy to put together the tart filling. The only thing to note is, do not beat the eggs or the mixture too hard, so it’s frothy. You want as few air bubbles as possible so the egg tart will come out smooth.
Assemble the tart
When you’re ready to bake:
Cut the tart dough into halves and work on one at a time (to prevent from drying out)Roll out the dough into a large thin sheetUse the pastry cutter to cut 8 piecesMove each piece into a tart mold, then gently press it so it covers the moldPour the filling into the tart crust
Once you’ve assembled all the tarts, bake them until the custard sets and the crust is crispy.
How to serve
These Hong Kong egg tarts are SO delicious when you serve them fresh and slightly warm. They’re still good at any time when fully cooled, but nothing beats having one that’s freshly baked. You can serve them in the morning with milk or coffee. Or anytime of day as a snack paired with tea. Hong Kong egg tarts are the perfect dessert for any occasion, too. Easter and Mother’s Day are coming up and these tarts would be perfect for your brunch. And you can make them as finger food for holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Chinese New Year.
Storage
If you cannot finish all the tarts, you can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I highly recommend finishing them the next day, but I’ve tried storing them for 2 days and they tasted totally fine. The tart crust will start losing its crispiness on day 3. I’ve also tried storing the tarts at room temperature in a sealed container overnight (I thought the crust would stay crispier that way). However, the tarts somehow dried up a bit. In comparison, I prefer the fridge storing method better because the crust stays crispy and the filling more fresh.
Afterthought
Don’t miss out on making Hong Kong egg tarts because they really are so much fun to make. Their tiny size and wonderful flavor make them fun to eat at any time, and they’ll be a sure hit for small gatherings. This recipe uses a delicate pastry dough and I highly recommend using a scale for measurement instead of cups to achieve the best result.
More Chinese bakery recipes
Chinese Egg Cake (鸡蛋糕)Baked BBQ Pork Buns (Char Siu Bao)Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao)Steamed Custard Buns (nai wong bao, 奶黄包)Dan Huang Su (Pastry Mooncake with Salty Egg Yolk, 蛋黄酥)
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
