Chinese Egg Tarts

Ingredients

• For the crust:
• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• For the custard:
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 8 large yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the lower-middle spot, put a baking stone or sheet pan on that rack, and heat the oven to 375°. Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin. In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar, and salt until blended. Add the egg and stir it in, then mix in the flour until the dough is fully combined.
2. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces and shape them into balls. Press a ball of dough into each muffin cup, working it up the sides until it reaches about 1/4 inch below the rim and keeping the dough about 1/8-inch thick. Chill the pan for 30 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add the milk, cream, yolks, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and combined.
4. Pour the custard into each crust, stopping about 1/8-inch below the top, and don’t overfill. Bake until the pastry is golden and the custard has just set, about 20 minutes. Cool the tarts in the pan for 15 minutes, then gently move them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Let the pan cool, then use the remaining dough and custard the same way. Serve the tarts at room temperature or chilled.