Daan Tat: Hong Kong Egg Tarts with Flaky Pastry

Make the butter layer. Pulse the 170 g flour with the cold butter in the food processor to a smooth paste. Scrape it onto cling film, pat into a 12 cm square, wrap and chill for 30 min.

Make the water dough. Pulse the 180 g flour with the sugar and salt, add the yolk and cold water and pulse until it clumps. Knead briefly into a ball, flatten into a rectangle, wrap and chill for 30 min.

Enclose the butter. Roll the water dough to a 25 cm square. Place the butter square on it at an angle, like a diamond, fold the four corners over to meet in the middle and pinch the seams to seal.

Fold for layers. Roll into a 40 x 15 cm strip, fold both short ends in to meet in the centre, then close it like a book. Turn 90° and repeat. Chill for 30 min, give it one more roll and book fold, then chill for at least 1 h. These folds build the flaky layers.

Mix the custard. Stir the sugar into the hot water until dissolved and let it cool a little. Whisk in the evaporated milk, eggs, yolks, vanilla and salt, then strain into the jug and chill while you shape the cases. Straining gives the smooth, glassy top.

Shape the cases. Halve the pastry and roll each piece to about 3 mm thick. Cut 8 circles from each half and press them into the greased moulds so the pastry rises a few millimetres above the rim. Prick the bases and freeze for 20-30 min.

Bake. Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Put the cold cases on the tray, fill them almost to the top with custard and bake for 16-20 min, turning the tray halfway, until the pastry is golden and the custard is set with just a faint wobble.

Cool and unmould. Leave the tarts in their moulds for 5 min, then ease them out and serve warm.