Let’s start by talking about the equipment needed… However, if you do find yourself in Asia, then head to Tai Cheong, the bakery behind the most famous Hong Kong egg tarts.ĭespite being from a far away place, Hong Kong egg tarts are surprisingly easy to make. While cooking Asian cuisine may seem daunting, Hong Kong egg tarts are easy and will connect you to a new culture with just a few ingredients and a little bit of time. I’m not sure when I’ll be in Asia next (I hope it’s soon) but baking these egg tarts was a fun and easy way to learn more about a place I miss very much. The egg tart, known as da taa in Mandarin, is one of the few desserts included in traditional dim sum offerings. Egg tarts became popular in Hong Kong and Guangzhou teahouses in the 1940s and are most likely a variation on the classic British custard tart. Hong Kong egg tarts are similar to pasteis de nata, the famous Portugese egg tarts, but the Asian version have a smooth glassy top as opposed to the caramelized brown top found in Lisbon. They are usually served at room temperature but are especially wonderful just out of the oven. ![]() The tarts are simple – a flaky crust (either a sweet cookie dough or puff pastry) filled with a rich, creamy egg custard and baked until set. Jess sent me her recipe, and after a quick trip to the grocery store, I was on a trip to Hong Kong from the comfort of my apartment kitchen.Įgg tarts can be found across Asia, but are particularly popular in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, and Macau (where there is a huge Portuguese influence). She remembers people being so obsessed with egg tarts that even KFC had a line down the street when they introduced their version of the delicate pastry.Īlthough I was familiar with the Portugese version, I had never tried the Asian variety, commonly referred to as Hong Kong egg tarts. ![]() Jess agreed that she had experienced similar surprise and then told me about the egg tart craze she encountered on one of her last trips to Taiwan. When I bit into what I thought was a coconut bun, it was actually a dried pork bun and what I thought was chocolate turned out to be red bean paste. I shared a story about going to a bakery in Beijing and being surprised at the flavors I found. Be sure to check out the interview here: The Hungry Traveler Interview with Jess Chen.Ĭhatting on the phone recently, Jess and I got on the topic of desserts in Asia. In that interview, Jess shared memories from her childhood in Taiwan and her post-grad life living in nearly every major city in the United States. I like to keep the oven door open for 5 minutes after turning off the oven to help them gradually cool down before taking them out to cool completely on the cooling rack.A few weeks ago I shared an interview with one of my best friends, Jess Chen. Once 20 minutes are up, give them a nice jiggle and if the middle is a little jiggly like jello, you’re done. Watch them puff up in the oven – don’t worry, they’ll deflate once they’ve fully cooled down. I like to strain my mixture into a measuring cup because it makes pouring into the tart shells much easier.įill them up to the brim and bake them at 375F for approximately 20 minutes. You may have some residual egg whites not fully integrated into your custard mixture – to ensure a smooth batter, be sure to strain the custard mixture into a separate bowl to ensure a smoother custard texture. To make these egg tarts, whisk together eggs, sugar, milk, water, and salt into a bowl until thoroughly combined. If you’re unsure what treat to bring to your friend’s dinner or potluck and you’re short on time, you can easily gravitate toward this recipe. ![]() The custard itself is super easy and you can probably make this within 5 minutes. These frozen tart shells make making egg tarts so much easier. This is perfect for those who are feeling lazy and don’t want to go through the effort of making the tart sells from scratch. We found these frozen tart shells in the frozen section of our grocery store and most of the time they already came with the disposable aluminum tin so you can just plop them directly on a baking tray to be baked. The secret was in the pre-made tart shells □ We love Chinese egg tarts! We always get them whenever we go to Chinese bakeries □ When we discovered there was a way to make this Easy Chinese Egg Tart recipe in under 20 minutes – we were sold.
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