Popo's Egg Tarts — The Recipe I Almost Lost
Okay, I need to tell you about these egg tarts. This is the most personal recipe on this entire blog.
My grandmother — Popo — made egg tarts every Sunday. Not the Portuguese-style ones (though those are amazing), but the Cantonese kind: smooth, jiggly custard in a buttery shortcrust shell. She never once used a recipe. "A little bit of this, until it feels right." That was her entire methodology.
When she passed, the recipe went with her. And I panicked. Because I'd watched her make them hundreds of times but never actually MEASURED anything.
It took me two years and forty-seven attempts to get this right. I'd bake a batch, close my eyes, taste, and ask: "Does this taste like Popo's kitchen?" Most of the time the answer was no. But attempt #47 — I cried. Not exaggerating. Standing in my Vancouver kitchen at 11pm, tears rolling down my face, because it finally tasted like Sunday mornings at Popo's house.
Ingredients — The Shells
- 1½ cups (190g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (113g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- Pinch of salt
Ingredients — The Custard
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (180ml) hot water
- ½ cup (120ml) evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The Method
The shells: Pulse flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold butter in a food processor until it looks like coarse sand. (No food processor? Cut butter in by hand with a pastry cutter — Popo never owned a food processor and hers were perfect.) Add egg yolk and cold water. Pulse until it JUST comes together. Don't overwork it — you want flaky, not tough.
Wrap in plastic, refrigerate 30 minutes minimum.
The custard: Here's what actually matters — dissolve the sugar in hot water COMPLETELY before adding anything else. Popo was adamant about this. Then whisk in the evaporated milk and eggs. STRAIN through a fine mesh sieve. Twice. This is what gives you that silk-smooth custard with zero lumps. (Don't skip this step.)
Assembly: Press small balls of dough into tart molds, making the walls even and thin. Popo used her thumb — no rolling pin needed. Fill each shell about ¾ full with custard.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 15-18 minutes. The custard should be JUST set — slightly jiggly in the center. If it puffs up, your oven is too hot.
What Went Wrong?
- Custard is grainy: Eggs were overcooked. Lower your oven temp by 10°F next time, or move the rack up.
- Shells are tough: Overworked the dough. Be gentle. Think of it like pie crust — less is more.
- Custard is watery: Didn't strain it, or too much water. Measure precisely.
- Custard tastes eggy: Too many eggs or not enough sugar. This recipe is balanced — follow it exactly the first time.
I'm sharing this because keeping a good recipe to yourself feels wrong. That was Popo's whole philosophy, even if she never wrote anything down.
Now it's written down. And it's not going anywhere.