Directions

Hong Kong-style egg tarts are well known in Asian culture when dining out at dim sum or picked up as a snack at the local bakeries. The influence of European culture inspired Hong Kong pastry chefs to come up with this creation. This is a classic pastry to share for all occasions. Traditionally, the Chinese puff pastry crust is made with lard and a filling similar to steamed egg pudding. This recipe aims to yield a smooth, glassy, lightly sweet custard in a melt-in-your-mouth, flaky pastry shell. A kidney-friendly adaptation includes using evaporated oat milk without phosphorous additives while keeping the potassium content fairly low.  

Preparation time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Food safety tips:

• Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.   

• Clean all countertops and equipment used for food preparation.   

• Gently rinse all produce under cool running water. 

• Use separate equipment for handling raw food and cooked food. 
• Do not eat raw dough or batter as it may contain bacteria that could cause you to become sick. 

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, add the flour and butter. Make sure the butter is soft enough that it gives when you press it, but not so soft that it collapses.  

1. It should be soft enough to break up with your fingers, but it shouldn’t immediately form a paste with the flour. 

2. Cut the butter into small cubes and add it to the flour and salt. Working quickly, break it up roughly with your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized chunks of butter still in the mixture. 

3. Add 2 tablespoons of cold water, and bring the dough together with your hands. Add a little more water if necessary (start with 1/2 teaspoon), no more than 3 teaspoons. At this point, the dough will be scraggly and dry. You need to rest the dough in the refrigerator to allow the flour in the dough to continue to absorb moisture. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic or a reusable bag, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. 

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a roughly 6×15 inch rectangle. Work quickly to avoid overworking it. 

5. Fold the top third of the dough down to the center, then the bottom third up and over that. Give the dough a quarter turn (left or right) and roll out again to a 6×15 inch rectangle. Fold the same way as before, cover, and chill for 1 hour. 

6. While the dough is resting, make the filling. Dissolve the sugar into 1 cup of hot water, and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Whisk evaporated oat milk, eggs, and vanilla together, and then thoroughly whisk in the sugar water. Strain through a fine-meshed strainer into a large measuring cup or pitcher (something with a pour spout). You should have about 2 to 2 1/4 cups of custard. 

7. Preheat the oven to 375° F/190°C, and position a rack in the lower third of your oven. 

8. Roll out the dough 0.2 inch/5mm thick, and cut into 4-inch circles to fit either mini tart tins or a shallow non-stick standard muffin pan, leaving a lip going over the top of the cup (the tart shells will shrink as they bake, so you want ample clearance). Take the excess dough, re-roll it, and cut more circles until you have around 16 of them. 

9. Evenly fill the tart shells about three-quarters full. If you have an ample lip of dough at the top, you can fill it just until you reach the part where the dough curves outward. 

10. Once filled, immediately (but very slowly and carefully) transfer the pan to the oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 350°F/180°C, and bake for 26-29 minutes until the filling is just set (if a toothpick can stand up in it, it’s done). 

11. Allow the tarts to cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying. 

NOTE: If you plan to prepare these in advance, make the dough the day before, and after the rolling and folding process in Step 5, refrigerate it overnight. Then, proceed with the recipe the next day. You can also press the dough into tins in advance, and freeze or refrigerate for the next day.