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What Are Egg Tarts?
Everyone loves egg tarts, to the point that there are over 10 variations of this one dish. From Portuguese, to Chinese, to Brazilian, and British – these tarts are a wonderful delicacy all over the world.
The most popular egg tarts that everyone knows and loves are the Portuguese and the Chinese ones.
These delicious pastries are made with a delicious outer shell full of egg custard and then baked.
Ingredients for Egg Tarts
- Pie crust mix
- Butter
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Milk
- Heavy whipping cream
- Vanilla extract
Cook’s Tips
- For the shell, I “cheated” with a pack of off-the-shelf Betty Crocker Pie Crust Mix. You can also use Pillsbury frozen and rolled pie crust.
- The instant pie crust mix does not disappoint. The crust was so flaky and the texture was so light. If you don’t like your tarts too sweet, you can reduce the sugar a little bit.
- Be sure to use jumbo-size eggs or you might be short of the filling mixture for this recipe
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Difference between Portuguese Egg Tart and Egg Tart?
Portuguese egg tarts usually only use egg yolks and heavy cream. Egg tarts on the other hand usually call for evaporated milk and whole eggs.
Should I Refrigerate Egg Tarts?
If consuming within the day you make them, you do not need to refrigerate them. You can eat them warm, room temperature, or cold. However, if you plan to eat them the next day, make sure to refrigerate them. You can always reheat them in the toaster oven the next day for about 10 minutes.
How Many Calories?
This has 292 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
This dish is best served as a dessert. For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
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Portuguese Egg Tarts
Ingredients
A (Crust):
- 1 box Betty Crocker Pie Crust Mix (Net Wt 11 oz. (330 g) or 1 frozen and rolled Pillsbury 9-inch pie crust)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- 1/3 cup cold water
B (Filling):
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/3 cup sugar or slightly less if you don't like your Portuguese egg tarts too sweet
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 drops vanilla extract
Instructions
- Stir the pie crust mix, cold water, and melted butter until pastry forms a ball. On a floured surface, roll the dough and cut it into 12 balls. Set aside.
- Use an electronic hand beater to blend Ingredients B. Beat for about 3 minutes and strain the filling through a strainer. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (207°C). Butter the muffin pan.
- Flatten the balls into small rounds and fit them well into the muffin pan by pressing firmly on bottom and side (do not over stretch). Fill the pie crust dough with the egg mixture (about 80% full).
- Bake the Portuguese Egg Tarts at 400F for about 15-20 minutes or until the filling turn brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
I make a slightly different cheat pastry for Portuguese tarts. It comes out like the flaky pastry the real tarts have.
Using store bought sheets of puff pastry, cut one sheet in half (the sheets here are about 10 inches square). Place one half on top of the other and roll tightly along the long edge. Cut the roll into 3/4 inch or 1 cm slices. Roll each slice out to about 10 cm/4 inches. Then put in your tart tin.
Can I use puff pastry?
Yes you can!
I made this and it was delicious.
Awesome thanks for trying my recipe.
I thought it came out really well! The top layer and look came out a little different than the ones I had in Lisbon. I would suggest using half the recommended sugar. My family put chocolate drizzle, fruit, almond slices and whipped cream on the side and it was even more amazing to us.
Hi Nattie, sounds yummy. Thanks for trying this recipe.
Pls. Give in cups measurement for the water dough and oil dough. Thanks!
Your tarts look good. I made this kind of tart a month or two months ago. It’s so yummy. Check my tarts at http://indonesia-eats.blogspot.com/2006/11/portuguese-custard-tarts.html
Chris – Curry Puffs look like this: http://www.sxc.hu/pic/m/g/ga/garytamin/511493_curry_puff.jpg :P
Dr. Ve Thru – other than instant pie crust mix, you can also “cheat” with puff pastry sheets (takes longer time). ;)
Yes, Portugese egg tarts are like the deluxe egg tarts. :)
I like Portuguese egg tarts better than the usual ones. This one gives the oomph!