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A classic Hong Kong-style egg tart featuring flaky, golden puff pastry shells filled with a silky, smooth egg custard made from evaporated milk, sugar, and vanilla, offering a delicate wobbly center and shiny surface.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 sheets store-bought puff pastry
  • 1 egg (for egg wash)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Thaw puff pastry until soft but still cold, per package instructions.
  2. On a floured surface, gently roll pastry sheets to an even thickness.
  3. Using a 3.5-inch round cutter, cut circles and press them into tart molds; trim excess pastry.
  4. Lightly dock (prick) the bottom of each pastry shell with a fork.
  5. Chill the tart molds in the refrigerator while preparing custard.
  6. Dissolve sugar in hot water and let syrup cool to room temperature.
  7. Gently beat the eggs in a bowl, avoiding whisking to prevent air bubbles.
  8. Add evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt to the eggs, stirring to combine.
  9. Fold in cooled sugar syrup with gentle stirring.
  10. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean container to remove lumps and foam.
  11. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
  12. Optional: brush exposed pastry edges with egg wash for color and shine.
  13. Carefully pour the strained custard into chilled pastry shells, filling 80–90%.
  14. Place tart trays on center oven rack and bake for 25–30 minutes, avoiding opening oven during first 20 minutes.
  15. Check doneness by tapping a tart; custard should wobble slightly but not be liquid.
  16. Cool tarts in molds for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Gentle stirring instead of whisking prevents air bubbles for a smooth glossy custard surface., Straining custard is key to a silky, lump-free texture., Dock pastry shell bottoms to prevent soggy bases and allow even baking., Using metal tart pans helps shells bake evenly; avoid silicone molds for optimal crust crispness., For firmer custard, reduce hot water to 3/4 cup and increase evaporated milk by 1 tablespoon., Shortcrust pastry can be substituted for a sturdier, buttery shell though it won’t puff or flake like puff pastry., Tarts keep up to 1 day at room temperature, 3–4 days refrigerated, and freeze well wrapped individually., Reheat frozen tarts at 300°F (150°C) for about 10 minutes to warm custard gently.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://margorecipes.com/traditional-hong-kong-egg-tart-recipe-buttery-crust-creamy-egg-custard/