Tiramisu Eggtart

Author and Photographer: Isabella Sun

Egg tarts are traditional desserts commonly found in the dim sum restaurants and cha chaan teng (茶餐厅 or tea restaurants) of Hong Kong and Macau. Those delicious little tarts are prepared with a puff pastry crust and a sweetened egg custard interior. Historically, the egg tarts are said to have been inspired by the Portuguese pasteis de nata and the traditional English custard tarts. The concept of the egg tarts was first introduced to Canton (Guangzhou), a Chinese city that is close to Hong Kong, after World War II. Since Canton was a popular international trading port, many British traders would move to the city and bring with them their own chefs and recipes. The Cantonese chefs would learn from British chefs and popularize traditional English desserts using cheaper local ingredients. As a result, the Cantonese egg tart, which seems like a quintessential Chinese dessert, is in reality a fusion of cuisine from multiple cultures.

Tiramisu, which means “pick me up,” is a coffee-flavored layered Italian cake dusted with coco powder. It consists of multiple layers of lady fingers drenched in espresso and cream mixture of mascarpone cheese and whipped eggs. Since its origin, many have tried to add a creative spin to the elegant dessert- tiramisu mochi, tiramisu barfi, and the matcha tiramisu cake are some of the ways that chefs try to fuse this traditional recipe with cuisine from other cultures. The Cantonese egg tart, already a product of both Western and Eastern influences, thus serves as another perfect vehicle for another cultural fusion recipe.

As you bite into the little tarts, the slight bitterness of the coco powder and the espresso accentuates the sweetness of the egg custard and creates a perfect balance of flavors in your mouth. The flaky, buttery crust pairs perfectly with the creamy, rich mascarpone cheese, making an irresistible tasting profile that compels you to take a second bite. True to its name, those tiramisu egg tarts will pick you up and make a perfect snack for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Ingredients

6 store-made egg tart shells

Egg filling:

30g mascarpone cheese at room temperature

1/2 cup warm milk

1 egg

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp espresso powder/instant coffee

1/2 tsp salt

Cheese layer:

1/4 cup mascarpone cheese

1/4 cup yogurt

30g sugar

Garnish:

Cocoa powder

Fresh fruit

Direction:

1. Combine sugar and mascarpone cheese in a bowl. Mix well.

2. Add espresso powder to warm milk. Mix until homogeneous, then add the mixture into the bowl with cheese and combine.

3. Add the egg into the milk mixture and mix until well-combined

4. Add the tart filling into a beaker. Pour the filling into each tart shell until the shell is just past half-full.

5. Bake the tarts at 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes until the egg mixture becomes firm and the shells look golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.

6. To make the cream layer of the tart, mix together mascarpone cheese, yogurt, and sugar.

7. To assemble, use a spatula and spread the cream mixture evenly on top of the cooled egg tarts.