Homemade Hong Kong-style egg tarts

There are generally two main types of egg tarts: Hong Kong-style egg tarts and Portuguese-style egg tarts. Depending on personal taste preferences, egg tarts come in a variety of styles. Hong Kong-style egg tarts, also known as puff pastry egg tarts, use a pastry crust made with butter and flour. They are particularly popular in Hong Kong, hence the name. Nowadays, you can find Hong Kong-style egg tarts in bakeries of all sizes.

Hong Kong-style egg tarts are known for their crispy pastry crust and rich, sweet custard filling. For baking enthusiasts, learning to make them can be a rewarding experience. Sharing these tarts with family and friends allows everyone to enjoy the perfect balance of sweetness and the joy of life together. So, here I would like to share with you the recipe for Hong Kong-style egg tarts.

1.What is Hong Kong-style egg tart?

Hong Kong-style egg tart consists of pastry and egg custard filling. The main ingredients for the pastry and custard include butter, milk, eggs, flour, and more. Due to the variety of ingredients used in making an egg tart, it also contains certain nutritional components. There are two main types of pastry for Hong Kong-style egg tarts: puff pastry, similar to Portuguese-style egg tarts; and butter pastry, which requires a significant amount of butter, giving it a cookie-like flavor.

2.What are the differences between Hong Kong-style egg tarts and Portuguese-style egg tarts?

①Initially, Hong Kong-style egg tarts were similar to the Cantonese dessert "steamed egg", but over time, they have evolved beyond this. Innovations such as durian egg tarts, mango sago egg tarts, ginger red date egg tarts, and other creative flavors have become quite popular. On the other hand, baked Portuguese-style egg tarts from Macau are characterized by their brown-black caramelized top, offering a rich and creamy custard filling that resembles caramel pudding in texture.

②Common Hong Kong-style egg tarts have two types of pastry: puff pastry and butter pastry (cookie pastry). Macau-style Portuguese egg tarts also use puff pastry for their crust. However, unlike the puff pastry used in Hong Kong-style egg tarts, the puff pastry in Macau-style Portuguese egg tarts is made using a butter puff pastry method.

3.Do Hong Kong-style egg tarts have an eggy taste?

High-quality egg tarts have a smooth and glossy filling with a silky texture. They combine sweetness with the flavors of egg and butter, complementing each other well.

4.How to store Hong Kong-style egg tarts?

Hong Kong-style egg tarts are best enjoyed fresh when they are crispy and have the best flavor. If you have leftovers, wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator. They should be fine for about three to four days. When reheating the next day, you can briefly reheat them in the oven to restore their crispiness.

5.If egg tart pastry smells sour, what could be the reason?

Egg tart pastry is made from ingredients like flour and eggs. If it smells sour when eaten, it could be due to toxins produced when the pastry comes into contact with oxygen. Therefore, it's not recommended to consume it. Even a slight sour taste in egg tart pastry typically indicates it has been stored for too long and has spoiled.

Having a sip of Hong Kong-style milk tea and then enjoying a fresh and delicious egg tart is a super classic way to enjoy afternoon tea in Hong Kong. Next, I'll introduce the method of making egg tarts so that you can enjoy restaurant-quality egg tarts at home.