Yummy Egg Tarts ～ Rice Cooker or Oven Bake

Ever since I learnt how to bake cake using a rice cooker, I am very intrigued by what other things that a rice cooker can make. So I asked my best 'know～in～all' friend, Mr Google and one recipe shouted out at me: Egg Tarts!

Eggs tart is a very good candidate for testing of recipe since my family members love egg tarts.

During my first attempt, I tried to act smart and grease my moulds. End up I had a hard time getting the tarts out of the moulds. After reading up more tart baking, I realise that the trick to get them out easily is NOT to grease the moulds. The 2nd time, I did not grease the moulds and the egg tarts come out nicely with a gentle knock.

Recipe adapted from My Mind Patch.

Made about 4 tarts. Can double or triple the recipe for more tarts.

These tarts are baked both in my Toshiba Rice Cooker and Morris tabletop oven.

Ingredients: 

For the Crust

30g unsalted butter, softened

15g icing sugar

10g beaten egg* 

60g all purpose flour

1/8 tsp salt

For the Egg Custard Filling 

30g beaten egg*

15g fine sugar (reduced sugar from original recipe because my family like it less sweet)

50g milk

Pinch of salt

* I used one medium sized egg and weigh 10g for the crust. The rest are used for egg custard filling.

How to do:

1. Beat the egg and strain through the sieve. Weigh out 10g and set both portion aside for later use.

2. Sift the flour and salt together and set aside for later use.

3. Cream the soften butter till it is smooth and pale yellow. I used hand whisk.

4. Add icing sugar and continue to cream till light and fluffy.

5. Add in the 10g egg and continue to mix till well combined.

6. Fold in the flour in 3 installments using a spatula till the mixture becomes a soft dough.

7. Shape the dough into a cylinder shape, wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for about 15 - 20min.

8. While the dough is in the fridge, start preparing the egg filling.

9. Gently stir the ingredients for the egg filling together till well combined. 

10. Put the egg filling mixture through the sift to remove lumps and bubbles.

*******

11. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the dough into 4 equal portion.

12. Shape them into a ball and placed in the egg tart mould.

13. Press the dough ball in the center against the mould and push it up against the wall till its full height. After baking, the crust will expand slight above the mould and it is easier to remove from the mould.

14. Pour the egg custard into the shaped tart shells.

15. Place them in the rice cooker and select bake function and set for 60min.

16. After 60min, check if the tarts are cooked. They are cooked if the crust slightly shrink from the wall and the custard is firmed. If not ready, press bake function and set for another 5 or 10 min and check for its doneness. My tarts took about 70 min in my rice cooker.

The tarts can also be baked in my oven for 20min at 160 degree. Do watch closely the tarts at about 12 - 15min, if the custard begins to balloon up, it means the oven temperature is too hot. Leave the oven door ajar so that the balloon subsides. If the custard balloons up too much, it will sink down in the center part when cool.

:: Egg Tarts Baked in Rice Cooker ::

So what is the main difference between baking in oven and rice cooker? Those baked in the oven have more browning, firmer and crisp. Those using rice cooker will not achieve the browning and the crust is softer. I also don't have the issue of ballooning custard for the tarts in rice cooker.

:: Egg Tarts Baked in Oven ::