Yum Cha Egg Tarts

I was sick on Friday, so when I was asked to make something for the church fate I wasn't very keen, but as I was feeling better on the Saturday, I decided to make something less fussy and easy. A few years ago, a friend of mine, Jenny, make me a batch of these heavenly egg tarts. The custard is glossy, soft and sweet, and the pastry is particularly wonderful. Later when she kindly give me the recipe, i realised the secret ingredient of the pastry : cream cheese! Yeap, it's very yummy and they taste just like those egg tarts from the yum cha trolleys!!



Hong Kong Egg Tarts ( makes about 30 egg tart with a very thin layer of pastry, or make about 14 egg tart with a nice thick crust )

Ingredients for the pastry:

• 125g cream cheese, soften
  
• 125 g butter, slightly salted, cubed
  
• 11/2 cups AP flour

Methods:

1. Rub the butter into the flour and cream cheese until combine.
   
2. Do not add water because the moisture from the cream cheese would be enough to bind the dough. It may appear a bit crumbly in the beginning, but it would be OK.
3. Divided the dough into 2 portion, and wrap with cling wrap. Store in the fridge for about 30 mins.
   

Ingredients for the custard:

• 3 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Methods:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius.
   
2. Combine everything in a big mixing bowl, whisk until sugar dissolved.
   
3. Pour the custard mixture over a fine sieve into a jug.
   
4. Roll out the pastry, divided the pastry into 30 small equal portion, and press them onto the muffin pan ( which you'll then have 14 egg tarts ), or petty aluminium cases ( which you'll then have about 30 egg tarts ).
5. Bake the pastry in the oven for about 15 mins.
   
6. When the pastry is golden, take them out of the oven, and pour the custard mixture onto each pastry cases. Bake the tarts in the oven for a further 30 mins, until the custard is set.
   
7. Cool on tray, but best serve them warm.
   

Of course, you can skip the blind baking part and just pour the custard onto the unbaked pastry and bake in pre heated oven for 30 mins, but because I'm making very thin pastry layer, I don't want my pastry to go soggy with the custard. But if you're making a thicker pastry layer, by all means, skip the blind baking part.

These egg tarts were very silky, smooth and sweet and the tart is very crunchy from the blind baking. They are best eaten warm! Unfortunately, I have to sell them cold during the church fete, but they're still delicious!