Dim Sum Recipe #4: Egg Custard Tarts (Dan Tat)

If you’ve ever walked on Grant Street in San Francisco’s Chinatown you’re sure to encounter a long line of people waiting in front of Golden Gate Bakery.  This bakery’s storefront is quite unassuming, so if you don’t know what’s going on and try to look past the mobs of people waiting, you’ll see two main colors emanating from inside the store:  pink and yellow.

Once you actually get past the front door you begin to realize that your time spent waiting might just be worth it:  there are an astounding number of sunny yellow egg custard tarts being shoved into hot pink pastry boxes!

The egg custard tarts at Golden Gate Bakery have a pale yellow custard with a light yet dense flan-like texture.  They are also quite large and deep, which means that they can be filled with considerable amount of egg custard.

What I consider the most special characteristic of this tart is its rich and super crispy crust, a feature that makes this Dan Tat stand out from all the rest.  The ultra crispness of the tart shell is a fleeting thing though, so it’s wise to eat these tarts within a few hours of buying them.

As simple way to keep their tarts distinctively crispy, the bakery workers at Golden Gate take great care to cut a large opening in the corner of each box of tarts that go out.  I thought it was odd at first, but later understood why.

A few months back, I did a post on Apple Strudel where I used oil spray and phyllo dough as my secret ingredients to create a super crispy and flaky pastry crust.  What’s great about that recipe is that I was able to avoid using extra butter when making the strudel crust.

For my Chinese Egg Custard Tart recipe, I’ve used the same technique and ingredients to get similar results.  The traditional way of making Dan Tat crusts is with a lard dough and a water dough, which are rolled methodically to create layers.  The technique used is very similar to the technique used to make puff pastry.  It’s a lengthy process, one which requires a good amount of patience, time, and skill.

This recipe is much simpler. It requires a minimal amount of patience, time, and skill–nothing like that required for the traditional method of making Dan Tats.

My secret ingredient here is canola oil, sprayed in between each layer of phyllo.  Using the oil spray is effortless and simple, and helps to eliminate the need to use lard or butter.  I also use French brioche molds here, which give just the right size and depth so that the tarts can be filled with a decent amount of custard.  The molds are also used as pie weights, to prevent excessive rising while the phyllo is baking.

With these tips and tools, the result is a super light and flakey crust that literally shatters after you’ve sunk your teeth into the custardy flan-like filling.  Just like the Golden Gate Bakery Dan Tat’s, these tarts are best when eaten fresh, on the day of baking.

If you are thinking of trying to make any sweets for Chinese New Year, this Chinese Egg Custard Tart recipe is the one you want to make.  This is a traditional recipe made simpler and lighter, with the use of more modern ingredients and technique.  Made easy, fast, and healthier, these sunny little egg tarts will be a cheerful and scrumptious addition to your Chinese New Year table!

Egg Custard Tarts (Dan Tat)

Makes 6 tarts.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 Tbsp hot water

3 Tbsp sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

3/4 tsp vanilla

pinch salt

canola or vegetable oil spray

8 sheets of phyllo dough

Equipment:

fine mesh strainer

large liquid measuring cup

round cookie cutter, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch larger than diameter of brioche/tart mold cavity (I used 4″)

paring knife

12 large brioche or tart molds (I used Matfer) or 6 large brioche molds and 6 pieces of foil bunched up to make pie weights

baking sheet

cooling rack

6 cupcake liners (optional)

Instructions:

1.)  In small bowl, stir together hot water with sugar, and mix until sugar dissolves.  In a separate mixing bowl stir together eggs, milk, salt, and vanilla together until evenly incorporated.  Add in sugar water and mix thoroughly.  Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup.  Set aside.

2.)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  On a large work surface, lay down one sheet of phyllo, then evenly and thoroughly spray it with canola oil spray.  Repeat this process with the remaining 7 pieces of phyllo, stacking each phyllo piece directly on top of the previously sprayed piece.  When all 8 phyllo pieces have been stacked, give the layered phyllo rectangle a final even spray of canola oil.

3.)  Spray the inside of 6 brioche molds with canola oil spray.  Use a round cookie cutter to cut out 6 circles of layered phyllo, using paring knife to cut around cookie cutter to assure clean edges.  Place each layered dough circle into a mold and lightly press the phyllo into the mold, pressing it in so that there are no air pockets.

4.)  Spray bottoms of remaining 6 brioche molds then place them directly atop each of the dough crusts.  This will help the dough stay compact (and not rise) and make room for more custard filling.  Alternatively, use bunched up foil shaped into balls to achieve similar results.  Place crust-filled brioche molds onto a baking sheet.  Bake the phyllo crusts in oven for 6 minutes.

5.)  After 6 minutes, remove the par-baked crusts from the oven.  Let cool for a few minutes then remove top brioche molds or foil balls (be careful, the molds will still be slightly hot). Carefully pour custard liquid into par-baked crusts, filling each crust until it is almost full.

6.)  Carefully place in oven, making sure to keep the custard from flowing over the edges of the crusts.  Bake for 15 minutes until the custard is set and doesn’t jiggle in the center.  Remove custard tarts from oven, let them sit for a few minutes to cool, then push/slip them out from the brioche molds and transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling (this prevents a soggy crust).  If you prefer, place tart in cupcake liners for easy serving.

Do you love Dim Sum?  Please check out the other recipes from my Dim Sum Series:

Dim Sum Recipe #1:  Siu Mai Dumplings

Dim Sum Recipe #2:  Honeyed Pork Buns (Baked Char Siu Bao)

Dim Sum Recipe #3:  Ha Gao Dumplings

Dim Sum Recipe #1:  Siu Mai Dumplings

Dim Sum Recipe #2:  Honeyed Pork Buns (Baked Char Siu Bao)

Dim Sum Recipe #3:  Ha Gao Dumplings

Dim Sum Recipe #5:  Pork & Chive Potstickers

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bonnieeng

Hi Bibs! Yes, finally another specific use for those brioche tins! I love that they work perfect as pie weights too. Thanks for stopping by! =)

Reply
bonnieeng

You are right…we should be neighbors! We could exchange goodies everyday and our dogs could be pals too! (I have a cocker spaniel…his name is Fred…I am so obsessed with him). =)

Reply
bonnieeng

So, the only pic I have of him in my posts is from my Buffalo Chicken Tea Sandwich piece:
http://www.thirstyfortea.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/29/buffalo-chicken-tea-sandwiches/
Fred is so camera shy. We got him from a shelter a few years ago and he’s always been that way. He always looks or walks away every time I pick up the camera..haha. Your sweetie looks so happy to be in front of the camera though! Bailey is so photogenic and always looks so content!!!

Reply
Patty Nguyen

Fred is a stud muffin! And don’t be fooled–Bailey hates the camera. He gives me the ugliest looks when I point it at him. But it’s my fault because I had a point and shoot, which I used with flash, for the first five years of his life. Poor booboo.

bonnieeng

Aw, you are so sweet Patty…thank you! I too, think he’s a stud muffin. If your booboo realized he looks so cute in pictures, maybe he wouldn’t be as upset. Seems like Bailey and Fred have some things in common!! =)

Stephanie

when you say
“1 egg
1 egg yolk”
That means you took two eggs, but separated the whites from one, right?

Reply
Catherine Vidinha

Have you ever considered taking a whack at bolo bao? I’m simply mad for them, particularly when custard filled, but have never spotted a good recipe for them. Of course, that just means I’m /obliged/ to visit Chinatown (Boston) to solve that little problem, which is happily done, but it would be nice to try my own hand at them.
In any case, I love your blog! I discovered it just this evening and have been caught in it for hours…. All my most favorite things: tea, dim sum, crafts, clever recipes… you’re just amazing!

Reply
Bonnie Eng

In fact, I’m working on a bolo bao post soon Catherine! My family has seriously grown up on those buns, although we would always just buy them from our local Chinese bakeries. I have made them before, and they are incredible…will be sharing the recipe soon! And thank you so much for the kind words…hope you’ll come back to visit again soon! 😉

Reply
Selena

hi! I was wondering, do these taste just like the egg tarts that you buy at Golden Gate Bakery?
Also how can I make my own phyllo dough?
Thanks!

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Hi Selena! The custard fillling and crispiness of the shell tastes very similar to the Golden Gate ones, but there’s a twist…my crust recipe isn’t a traditional one. Golden Gate’s dan tat crust is made with lard, whereas I use several layers of phyllo with coconut oil sprayed in between each layer to get crispy flakiness. The resulting crust is less luscious than the dan tat crust at Golden Gate, but it still very delicious and only has a fraction of the fat.
I’ve never made my own phyllo dough before, as I think it is extremely difficult to get a dough that thin. Not to worry though, the store-bought variety works great here. Hope this helps and thanks for stopping by!

Reply
marifong

Hi Bonnie!
I actually live in San Francisco, and have easy access to dan tats almost any given day (unless I happen to be on vacation or sick, which is rare). Thanks for this recipe, my family loves getting dan tats and they’re all gone within one or two days after we get them. I’ve been wanting to make these, I find some dim sum restaurants don’t have the best tasting dan tats, and I don’t usually have time to stand in line at Golden Gate.
I hope to try these soon!

Reply
Bonnie Eng

Thank you so much Sari! I just checked out your site, and there are some very beautiful recipes there! Would love to try that Naan recipe soon…thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂

Reply
Moira

Thank you for the post. I really enjoy reading your blog. I have a question on the evaporated milk. Do you use sweetened or unsweetened one?

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