Chinese Egg Tarts (Dan Tat) with Edible Plum Roses -

Chinese Egg Tarts (Dan Tat) with Edible Plum Roses

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: egg, flaky, plum rose, puff pastry, tarts

Prep Time: 40

Cook Time: 26

Dough Chill Time: 2

Total Time: 3 6

Servings: 3" egg tarts

Calories: 171kcal

Flaky homemade puff pastry filled with creamy custard and topped with a beautiful edible plum rose.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Ingredients

Flaky Puff Pastry

2½ cups all purpose flour fluffed, scooped & levelled
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup white sugar
½ cup lard (e.g. Tenderflake) room temperature
9 Tablespoons ice water
½ cup cold unsalted butter sliced 0.5 cm thick

Egg Custard

1 cup evaporated milk
¾ cup water
½ cup white sugar
1 envelope vanilla sugar (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (whole) room temperature
3 large egg yolks room temperature

Plum Roses

3 ripe plums halved, pitted and sliced thinly
48 small wooden toothpicks

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Mix the Pastry Dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the lard and cut it into the flour with a dough blender (or two butter knives) until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the ice water 2 Tablespoons at a time, kneading with your hands until a total of 9 Tablespoons is incorporated. Shape the dough into a ball (it should not be sticky). Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
Laminate the Pastry: On a lightly floured surface, roll the cold dough into an 8x15-inch rectangle. Place 4 or 5 slices of the cold butter in the center. Fold the bottom third of the dough up over the butter. Place the remaining butter slices on top of the fold, then fold the top third of the dough down. Dust with flour and roll the dough out into an 8x15-inch rectangle again. Fold the dough in thirds one more time. Roll the dough to a final 8x15-inch rectangle with a 1 cm thickness. (Refrigerate for 30 minutes if the dough feels soft).
Cut the Shells: Using a 4-inch round cookie cutter, press straight down into the dough. DO NOT twist the cutter! Lift the cut-out disc and press it into a 3-inch egg tart mould using a tart tamper or your fingers. Repeat for all moulds. Place the filled moulds on a baking sheet and refrigerate your shells while you work on the next step.
Make the Custard: In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the evaporated milk, water, white sugar, vanilla sugar, and salt. Warm for 5 minutes just until the sugar dissolves (do not boil). Let cool for 10 minutes (this step is important to prevent the eggs from overcooking). In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks. Slowly whisk the cooled milk mixture into the eggs. Pour the custard through a mesh strainer into a large measuring cup to remove air bubbles. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Make the Plum Roses: Stack 2 thin plum slices parallel to each other and roll them tightly together. Insert 2 toothpicks in an "X" shape through the bottom to hold the rose together. Repeat to make 24 roses.
Assemble and Bake: Place a plum rose into the center of each tart mould, lightly pressing the toothpicks into the pastry base. Slowly pour the egg custard into the shells, filling them only halfway. (Leave 1 cm of pastry overhang as it will shrink). Repeat this until all moulds are decorated and filled. Carefully, transfer the tray to the middle oven rack and bake for 26 minutes. The egg center should be a little jiggly.
Cool and Serve: Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove all wooden toothpicks from each tart. Slide the egg tarts out of the moulds and onto a wire rack. You can place each egg tart into a cupcake liner for a little decorative 'oomph'. Serve warm or at room temperature. Dust with icing sugar before serving if you prefer!

Video

Notes

How to Get a Brighter Yellow Custard: Some bakeries add yellow food colouring to their custard. To get that signature, rich, golden-yellow colour naturally, use Omega-3-enriched eggs! Their yolks are naturally much darker and more vibrant than standard eggs.

I don’t have egg tart moulds. What should I use instead?

A standard muffin pan is a reliable substitute for traditional egg tart moulds, though its deep, cylindrical walls will yield a different shape and require 3 to 4 extra minutes of baking time. While the shallow, fluted design of traditional moulds creates an iconic scalloped edge and a high crust-to-custard ratio, you can replicate this balance in a muffin tin by pressing the pastry evenly up the vertical sides and filling the cups only halfway. To ensure the best results and a clean release, grease the tin thoroughly and use a round cutter slightly larger than the muffin opening for consistent coverage.

How far in advance should I make my dough?

Puff pastry requires resting time so the gluten can relax and the lard/butter can firm up. If you skip the chill time, the pastry will shrink greatly in the oven and possibly spill your custard! Make the dough a minimum of 2 hours ahead of time.

Why use vanilla sugar instead of liquid extract?

Liquid vanilla extract is dark brown. Even a few teaspoons can slightly darken the colour of your delicate yellow custard. Vanilla sugar provides all the wonderful flavour while keeping the custard a bright, beautiful shade of yellow! Having said that, it is totally fine to use vanilla extract for its flavour.

Nutrition