Egg Tart

Materials:

For the Crust:

 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour

 ½ cup (65 grams) unsalted butter, cold and cubed

 ¼ cup (50 grams) icing sugar

 1 large egg yolk

 Pinch of salt

For the Egg Filling:

 2 large eggs

 ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

 1 ½ cups (350 ml) whole milk

 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Additional Materials:

 Tart molds (amount depending on the size of your molds)

 Rolling pin

Steps:

1. Make the Crust: Sift the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingertips, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the icing sugar and egg yolk, mixing until just incorporated.

2. Chill the Dough:  Gently gather the dough into a ball, then flatten it into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour.

3. Preheat the Oven: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease your tart molds.

4. Roll out the Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about ⅛-inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter or a sharp knife to cut out circles of dough slightly larger than your tart molds.

5. Line the Tart Molds: Gently press the dough rounds into the greased tart molds, making sure to ease the dough into the corners and up the sides. Trim any excess dough from the edges.

6. Blind Bake the Crust (Optional): For a flakier crust, you can blind bake the crust. Prick the bottom of each tart shell with a fork a few times. Line each tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment paper and bake for an additional 5 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden brown. Let the crusts cool slightly before filling.

7. Make the Egg Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined. Slowly whisk in the milk and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.

8. Fill the Tart Shells: Strain the egg custard mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Carefully pour the custard filling into the cooled tart shells, filling each one almost to the rim.

9. Bake the Egg Tarts: Bake the egg tarts for 20-25 minutes, or until the custard is set and the tops are golden brown. The edges will be slightly puffed but should sink down as they cool.

10. Cool and Serve: Let the egg tarts cool in the molds for at least 15 minutes before carefully removing them. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips:

 For a richer flavor, you can use brown sugar instead of granulated sugar in the crust.

 If you don’t have vanilla extract, you can substitute with ½ teaspoon of almond extract.

 You can also add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon to the egg custard filling for extra flavor.

 To prevent the crusts from getting soggy, make sure to blind bake them or pre-bake them for a few minutes before adding the filling.

 Let the egg tarts cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.