Egg Tarts

Egg Tarts

from Ellen's kitchen, with thanks to thewoksoflife.com

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus one tbs
• 14 tbs unsalted butter, room temp but not softened
• 2 tbs cold water
• 1 scant cup hot water
• 3 eggs, room temp
• .5 cup evaporated milk, room temp
• .75 tsp vanilla

Combine:

• flour, salt, and 1 tbs sugar.  Add butter, breaking up with fingers, keeping visible chunks.  Add 2 tbs (or more) cold water and bring dough together.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll:

• dough into 8 x 20" rectangle.  Try to keep edges even and don't overwork butter streaks.  Fold in thirds, and then roll rectangle in other direction.  Fold, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While:

• dough is resting, make filling.  Dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in hot water and cool to room temp.  Whisk eggs and evaporated milk together and then add sugar water and vanilla.
• Strain mixture though fine mesh strainer.  

Preheat:

• oven to 400 and position rack in middle oven.  Roll out dough and cut to fit your tins (I used muffin pan but think small individual foil tins would be best).  Press dough into tins and fill, almost to edge.
• Put individual tins on cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven to 350 and bake another 10-12 minutes or until filling just set (if toothpick stands up, they are done).