Dan Tart Cook-off I

[Rhea_S]

Where would I find lard in the supermarket? In the refrigerator or the baking section? If I can not find lard, what can I use?

I've only used butter and oil for baking before, but I know the crust that are made with lard or shortening taste so much better.....

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At my local supermarkets, the lard is usually by the sausages/hotdogs or close to the meat section. Really good, fresh lard does make great tasting crusts, but the supermarket brands aren't quite the same. Butter definitely makes better tasting crusts than shortening (which doesn't have flavor unless you buy the fake butter-flavored kind), but shortening and lard tend to produce flakier crusts. Some try to compromise by using a mixture of shortening and butter.

[Dejah]

I will start the dan tart this weekend but I have some questions first.

Where would I find lard in the supermarket? In the refrigerator or the baking section? If I can not find lard, what can I use?

I've only used butter and oil for baking before, but I know the crust that are made with lard or shortening taste so much better.....

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I used Tenderflake, Yuki. Make sure it says lard and not shortening...such as Crisco. You should be able to find it in the baking aisle. They come in 1 lb. blocks or 1.36kg tubs.

Lard makes everything flaky and light. I used to use Tenderflake lard in one deepfryer for battered items. The other 2 fryers had veg. shortening. I have compared the results and the lard definitely produces flakier "crusts".

[Rhea_S]

I used Tenderflake

I forgot about Tenderflake. We don't get that here in the US, but my mom usually used Tenderflake in her pie crusts. I didn't even realize until now that it's lard (been a long time).

[Yuki]

Butter definitely makes better tasting crusts than shortening (which doesn't have flavor unless you buy the fake butter-flavored kind), but shortening and lard tend to produce flakier crusts. Some try to compromise by using a mixture of shortening and butter.

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Thanks for clearing up my questions between lard, butter and shortening. I saw some recipes that use both the "water" skin and the "oil skin", and the "oil" skin contains butter and lard. Although those recipes sounded really good but they seem to be more difficult to make. I will buy lots of lard and butter this weekend to do some experiment even though I am quite sure that my result would not be good.

I used Tenderflake, Yuki. Make sure it says lard and not shortening...such as Crisco. You should be able to find it in the baking aisle. They come in 1 lb. blocks or 1.36kg tubs.

Thanks, I've seen Tenderflake before and now I know where to get some extra cholesterol. I've no one to share my egg tart with and my sister just baked a strawberry tart so our intake of sugar and fat might be quite high this week.

[Dejah]

Yuki:

Thanks, I've seen Tenderflake before and now I know where to get some extra cholesterol. wink.gif I've no one to share my egg tart with and my sister just baked a strawberry tart so our intake of sugar and fat might be quite high this week.

Do as I did, drive down your neighborhood street and share with any neighbors you see standing outside!

[Tepee]

Everybody!!!! Here comes the Tart (lady)!!!!!!!!

I can just picture that.

[Yuki]

I just baked the egg tart today and have to report that they are a failure. The egg ended up extremely rough with air bubble inside and the crust tasted raw. I don't think I want to try making them again for a while... I will just go to the bakery to grab some fresh egg tart next time.

[Tepee]

Awwww...I'm sorry to hear that, Yuki. Which recipe did you use? You have to bake in low heat, 150C for at least 40 minutes, so that the filling doesn't explode. I don't mind trying it again, since it actually takes very little time to come up with one batch. This time I'll do 50/50 lard/butter.

[Dejah]

Well, it seems what jschyun and sheetz have said is true - the pastry recipe is a well kept secret! I know my second pastry, single layer method was flaky, as in shortcrust...but it's the elusive layers! I might try the double layer method again in a little while. Do I have the determination of the little yellow train who could?

Think I'll put a call out to Irwin (wesza) and CharSuiBao and see if they have any contacts!

Hope your foot is coming along, Kris.

[sheetz]

I'm making Dan Tart my own holy grail of recipes, right above those incredibly lacy deep fried taro puffs. When you look at it, it shouldn't be that tough, but it looks like I'm going to have to experiment a lot and develop my own recipe.

[Yuki]

Awwww...I'm sorry to hear that, Yuki. Which recipe did you use? You have to bake in low heat, 150C for at least 40 minutes, so that the filling doesn't explode. I don't mind trying it again, since it actually takes very little time to come up with one batch. This time I'll do 50/50 lard/butter.

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I actually tried out your recipe but due to my incompetence, the result is not even close to your wonderful looking dan tart. My sister made another batch today using her own recipe, but she cheated by using frozen puff pastry. The egg ended to be smooth but the crust is just not there.... I think the hardest part in dan tart is the crust and I will leave that to the professional.

I have a far-off relative that works in a bakery but I am not sure if it is okay to ask her if I can watch the dan tart making process...

[Dejah]

Let me repeat again: Frozen Puff Pastry does not work for dan tart!

[Tepee]

Hello? Yetty? Where's your dan tarts?

[Yuki]

Let me repeat again: Frozen Puff Pastry does not work for dan tart!

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Yeah, I told her that but when she was eating the egg tart, she just scooped up the egg and threw away the pastry.

[Tepee]

I actually tried out your recipe but due to my incompetence, the result is not even close to your wonderful looking dan tart.

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Believe you me! My dan tarts are definitely not wonderful looking (look at the edges )... at least they aren't to me. It does taste very close to one of the dim sum restaurant versions. Will work at improving the pastry to be a little less flaky.

LOL, maybe it's the mould.

However, if I were to do the 2-skin pastry, I'd use a plain sides cupcake tin.

Edited April 25, 2005 by Tepee (log)

[sheetz]

If nobody objects, I think I'm going to toss this question over to the pros in the baking forum. There's got to be someone over there who knows how to make these. It can't be an ancient Chinese secret!! lol

[hzrt8w]

It can't be an ancient Chinese secret!! lol

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It can't be. It didn't exist in Chinese cooking more than a couple hundred years ago.

Since (I heard) it is imported from the Portugese via Macau to Hong Kong, the Portugese gotta be the master of these Custard Tarts.

I learned through another forum the following recipe of Pastéis de Nata (Cream Custard Tarts)

Looks about right.

[sheetz]

It can't be an ancient Chinese secret!! lol

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It can't be. It didn't exist in Chinese cooking more than a couple hundred years ago.

Since (I heard) it is imported from the Portugese via Macau to Hong Kong, the Portugese gotta be the master of these Custard Tarts.

I learned through another forum the following recipe of Pastéis de Nata (Cream Custard Tarts)

Looks about right.

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The Portuguese versions are similar but they don't appear to be the same. Traditionally, the Portuguese ones use a puff pastry that's been rolled and coiled into a snail before being pressed into the tart molds. So they don't have the same layered crust as the type some of us want. And actually, the recipe you linked isn't even the puff pastry version, but rather uses a basic pie crust recipe for the tart shell. Anyways, I'll ask the experts at the pastry forum and see if anyone there has answers.

Portuguese version:

Chinese version:

[SuzySushi]

Now we all know why one spelling variation is "Darn Tarts"!!!

[Tepee]

[spaghetttti]

So it seems like everyone has got the filling down pat, it's the darned crust that's wreaking havoc, is it?

sheetz, those tarts look fabulous, did you make them?

[touaregsand]

It can't be an ancient Chinese secret!! lol

←

It can't be. It didn't exist in Chinese cooking more than a couple hundred years ago.

Since (I heard) it is imported from the Portugese via Macau to Hong Kong, the Portugese gotta be the master of these Custard Tarts.

I learned through another forum the following recipe of Pastéis de Nata (Cream Custard Tarts)

Looks about right.

←

The Portuguese versions are similar but they don't appear to be the same. Traditionally, the Portuguese ones use a puff pastry that's been rolled and coiled into a snail before being pressed into the tart molds. So they don't have the same layered crust as the type some of us want. And actually, the recipe you linked isn't even the puff pastry version, but rather uses a basic pie crust recipe for the tart shell. Anyways, I'll ask the experts at the pastry forum and see if anyone there has answers.

Portuguese version:

Chinese version:

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The Portuguese ones look like a total home job and the Chinese ones look like they were made by a food stylist.

[Rhea_S]

Here was my attempt at egg tarts:

I posted about the pastry recipe I used over on the other egg tart thread in the baking section. The recipe I was following for the filling said to bake the tarts at 300F, but I found this took forever and I upped the temperature to 375F after about 30 minutes. I'm going to try this again at 375F right from the start.

The only ones that didn't come out as crispy and flaky were the ones I overfilled. The filling dripped down the sides and made the sides and bottom soggy.

Edited April 27, 2005 by Rhea_S (log)

[Tepee]

Looks like we've got a winner!! Great job, Rhea!

[Dejah]

At last! I checked out the recipe Rhea_s and I will give it a try again.

Thanks for posting the pictures. There IS hope