Hong Kong Style Milk Egg Tart (Thicker Version of Pie Susu Bali)

It's Ramadan, a holy month for Muslim all over the world! It's not only fulfilled with blessings, it is also the time when all the delicious food available for iftar (breakfasting). This holy month actually has been running for 12 days, yet sadly, I don't have much time to cook any fancy :'( However, this moment shouldn't be wasted, so I baked this simple and sweet milk egg tart for iftar appetizer yesterday :D

Egg tart: From Europe to Southeast Asia

For you Indonesian, you maybe notice "Pie Susu Bali" or "Balinese Milk Pie", the popular food souvenir from Bali, Indonesia. The Balinese Milk Pie, is actually an adaptation from Hong Kong Milk Egg Tart, even though physically the Balinese ones are much more thiner (thus, crunchier) than the Hong Kong's. How did it come to Indonesia in the end? No wonder, I presume, as Bali is a popular place for tourist both domestic and global, the tart finally there as a tourism effect.

Tracing back the history, Hong Kong truth to be told also cannot claim the Milk Egg Tart to be originally theirs. Although in the world nowadays the favorite tart are coming from Chinese pastry shop, one theory stated that the Hong Kong's egg tart recipe must be taken from British Custard Egg Tart, as Hong Kong was colonized by British. Another presumption is it must be adopted from Portuguese egg tart, Pastel de nata, during their colonialism on Macau, Hong Kong's neighbor.

Despite the differences on popular names and some ingredients, if you compare those four; Hong Kong's, Portuguese, British, and Indonesian, they are basically similar, just a baked custard in crust shell. It's interesting how colonialism and migration; things that were happened years ago, can affect the current popular culture.

About this Recipe

At first, I was gonna make the skillet and non-oven recipe version, the one that recently popular among the Indonesian food-blogger. As it seems risky (non sticky skillet of mine is already overused and my stove cannot provide the very low heat), I ended up googling the recipe for the baked one. Followed this recipe for the ingredients, while the method were coming from this reference and this reference. Enjoy!

Hong Kong Style Milk Egg Tart

Yield: 17 tart molds (5 cm diameter)

Total time: 1.5 hour

Ingredients:

- Crust:

• 2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cold butter, diced
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla powder
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar

- Milk custard

• 3 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 100 ml water
• 1 can (220 ml) sweet condensed milk

Direction:

1. Preheat oven in 160 deg C.
2. To make crust, combine flour and sugar in bowl. Add in diced cold butter, mix with forks until it forms crumble. Add vanilla and egg, stir until the mixture turns to dough. Shape dough into three balls, let it cool in fridge for 10 minutes. *Tips: to get crunchier crust, the dough should always be in cool temperature so the butter won't melt
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Line tart molds with butter. Press the cool dough to cover all surfaces of mold.
   
   Put crusts in the fridge while preparing the milk custard.
4. For the milk custard, whisk together yolks and cornstarch. Add in water, mix well. Slowly pour the condensed milk in to the mixture while whisking continuously.
   
   
   
5. Strain the milk custard mixture through a sieve to get smooth and not bubbly custard.
   
6. Fill tart crust with milk custard. Bake for 20 - 30 minutes until the custard's edge turns caramelized and slightly brown.