How to Make Portuguese Egg Tarts

Have you tried Portuguese egg tarts from a Chinese or Portuguese bakery nearby your city? If you want to taste the egg tarts again or you would like to try them for the first time, this instructions will guide you in baking the Portuguese egg tarts at home. Portuguese egg tart is fragrant and delicious which you will fall in love with the crispy skin filled with soft egg custard. You do not need to be a professional baker to make this. All you need is basic baking equipment, oven. The time for preparation is about 40 minutes and additional 40 minutes for baking and cooling. With the simple ingredients and easy baking process, you will be able to enjoy the Portugal delicacies at home.

Step 1: List of Ingredients and Tools

List of Ingredients:

• 2 sheets of Frozen Puff Pastry
• 260 g of Whole Milk
• 60 g of Heavy Cream
• 60 g of Sugar
• 2 egg yolk
• 1 tbsp of corn starch
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

List of Tools:

• 12 ct. cupcake/muffin pan
• Weighing device
• Whisk
• Measuring spoons
• Small cooking pot
• Cooking/baking oil spray
• Sandwich knife
• Water cup with round rigid edge

Step 2: Prepare Ingredients

• Thaw the frozen puff pastry in room temperature for 30 mins
• Weigh the ingredients

Note:

• Do not thaw the puff pastry for more than 40 mins
• Pastry is ready when you can unfold without breaking the sheet

Step 3: Cut Pastry

• Mark the pastry with a cup (6 circles per sheet)
• Cut the pastry using a sandwich knife

Note:

• Circular pastry is about size of one cupcake mold
• Puff pastry is fragile, do not attempt to crumble them up and roll flat again

Step 4: Mold Pastry

• Spray the cupcake pan with cooking oil
• Stretch the pastry circularly
• Mold into the cupcake pan
• Poke the base of the pastry with a fork

Note:

• Do not over stretch the pastry
• Poking the pastry base will prevent the pastry puffing during baking and squeeze out the egg custard

Step 5: Cook Egg Custard

• Mix all ingredients in the pot with a whisk
• Cook over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes
• Remove from heat when the custard coat the side of the pot thinly
• Immerse pot in cold water in order to cool the egg custard completely
• Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit

Note:

The process of cooking egg custard is critical. If the egg custard is too thick, diluting it by adding milk will not help.

Step 6: Ready to Bake

• Pour the egg custard into the molded pan
• Fill about 2/3 of each mold
• Bake in the oven for 40 minutes

Step 7: Baking Process

• Check the baking process constantly
• Egg custard will bubble towards the end of the baking
• Add about 5-10 minutes baking time if the top layer is not darken
• Take out from oven when dark spots appear and pastry is not too burned

Note:

• Rotate baking pan is necessary
• Avoid burning the pastry while getting burn spots on the custard
• Use heat resistance glove when handling pan in oven

Step 8: Cool and Ready

Cool the Portuguese egg tarts and they are ready to be served. The Portuguese egg tart should have a combination of crispy shell and soft egg custard which will give your taste buds full indulgence.

Congratulations for completing baking the Portuguese egg tart. You are now able to enjoy delicious Portuguese delicacy at home. Portuguese egg tart is good for any occasions such as tea party, pot luck, gatherings and more. It is fine that the egg custard sink after cooling. Practice makes perfect! Your egg tarts will be close to your flavor preferences when you have experimented baking them more and adjust the amount of ingredients. Now, it is time to enjoy your egg tarts with a cup of tea.