Egg Tarts

Photo: Beverley Ann D'Cruz

Ingredients

250 grams cold butter, cubed

50 grams icing sugar

1 egg yolk

360 grams plain flour

2 tablespoons custard powder

310 mls hot water

230 grams castor sugar

1 tablespoon evaporated milk

teaspoon salt

teaspoon vanilla essence

6 eggs

Preparation

Method:Combine butter, sugar and egg yolk in a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Add in sifted flour and custard powder and combine until the dough turns pliable. Set aside for half an hour.

Put dough in between two plastic sheets and roll out to about 3 - 4mm thickness. Use a pastry cutter to cut out rounds from the sheet of pastry to fit aluminium foil tart moulds. Place the pastry rounds in the moulds, pressing down the sides to make them fit evenly. Prick with a fork to ensure that the base remains flat after baking.

For the filling, add sugar to the hot water. Stir well to dissolve the sugar, then add in evaporated milk, salt and essence, and mix.

Break eggs into a bowl and stir lightly with a fork (do not beat until frothy). Pour the cooled sugar and milk mixture into the eggs, then strain the mixture into a measuring jug. Pour egg custard filling into the lined pastry tins and bake in a preheated oven at 180C for 5 minutes.

Use a piece of foil to cover the shelf above the tarts to prevent the egg tart filling from browning too fast. Continue to bake for 25 - 30 minutes until the custard is set.