Puff Pastry Egg Tarts - 2 酥皮蛋撻

I took the opportunity to try my hands at making puff pastry from scratch when I was on vacation as the weather was quite cooling and I assumed that the dough wouldn't be sticky and messy to handle.
I could make both oil and water dough easily and there were no 'sweat and tears', LOL!  The pastries turned out nice and flaky and everybody gave their thumbs up for this dim sum, especially my dear grandnephew who asked for more!

Oil dough - Sieve the plain flour into a mixing bowl, add in the cold, cubed butter, mash with a fork and slowly combine to form a soft dough.  Wrap up with clingwrap and keep in the fridge for 30 mins.  (You can do this with a food processor if you wish),

Water dough - Sieve the plain flour into a mixing bowl, add in the slightly  beaten egg yolks, mix well, add ice cold water gradually,( you may not require the whole amount of water as too much water can make the pastry tough), mix well and form into a dough.  Wrap up with clingwrap and keep in the fridge for 30 mins.

After 30 mins., roll out the water dough, place the oil dough in the centre and wrap it up like in the above picture.  Wrap with clingwrap and keep in the fridge for 30 mins.

After 30 mins. roll out the dough and fold into three like in the above pictures.  Wrap with clingwrap and keep refridgerated for another 30 mins.

Repeat this step (3 layers) one more time.  Wrap up the dough and keep chilled for another 30 mins.

 After 30 mins., roll out the dough and this time fold into 4 layers, like in the pictures.  Wrap up and keep chilled for another 30 mins.  Roll out the dough, cut with a pastry cutter.  Lightly press the dough onto lightly greased tart moulds, prick some holes with a fork.  Keep these 'pressed tart moulds' in the fridge for about 20 mins.  Retrieve from fridge and pour in the egg custard, 3/4 full.

Bake on the lower shelf of a preheated oven @ 180 deg.C for 25 to 30 mins.  Let cool in the tart moulds before unmoulding.

(Please check  'here' for details in baking these egg tarts).

Recipe for Puff Pastry Egg Tarts

Ingredients for Oil Dough

• 140 gm plain flour
• 180 gm butter, cut into cubes and keep chilled

Water Dough

• 140 gm plain flour
• 40 gm/2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 40 to 50 ml ice cold water

Egg Custard Filling

• 100 ml water
• 75 to 80 gm sugar
• 2.1/2 eggs
• 125 ml milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method for Custard Filling

1. Boil the water with sugar till sugar dissolves.  Let cool.
2. Lightly whisk the eggs with the milk.  Do not whisk till frothy.  Add in the vanilla.  Mix well.
3. Pour in the cooled syrup, mix well.
4. Strain the egg mixture twice and pour into a jug for easy pouring into the tart moulds.

Yield :  12 pieces of 2.1/2 inch diameter and 9 pieces of 3 inch diameter.