Desserts

4 recipes

Hong Kong Egg Tarts

The shortcrust uses lard (or vegetable shortening + butter) for the right crumbly texture; sugar gives the slight sweetness; egg yolk binds. Rolled to 3 mm thick, cut into discs slightly larger than the muffin-tin wells, gently pressed in, chilled. The custard: eggs whisk with hot sugar syrup (sugar dissolved in just-boiled water, cooled) and a small amount of evaporated milk for richness, plus vanilla. Strained twice for a glassy finish, ladled into the chilled shells, baked at 220°C for the first 8 minutes (to set the pastry edges) then 180°C for 12-15 more (until the custard is just-set with no visible jiggle in the centre).

1 hour 25 minutes Serves6

Mango Pudding

Ripe mango (Alphonso or Nam Dok Mai if available; any sweet ripe mango works) blends to a smooth puree with sugar and lime juice. Powdered gelatin blooms in cold milk 5 minutes. Half the milk warms to dissolve sugar; the bloomed gelatin stirs in to dissolve. The warm milk pours into the mango puree along with the cold remaining milk, evaporated milk and a splash of double cream. Whisked smooth, ladled into 6 small moulds or glasses, refrigerated for 4-6 hours until set. Served with diced fresh mango and a drizzle of evaporated milk.

20 minutes Serves6

Nian Gao

Glutinous rice flour and a small amount of rice flour for bite, dissolved in brown-sugar syrup made with water (just-boiled), with a glug of oil for sheen and the faintest pinch of salt. Poured into a greased cake pan, steamed for an hour, cooled overnight. The cake firms up dramatically as it cools, going from pourable batter to a sliceable, translucent amber slab. Best eaten on Day 2, sliced and pan-fried in beaten egg.

1 hour 30 minutes Serves8

Tang Yuan

Filling: black sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan, ground to a paste with sugar and softened lard (or butter); chilled until firm enough to roll into 16 small balls; frozen on a tray. Dough: glutinous rice flour mixed with just-boiled water (the hot water gelatinises some of the starch, giving the dough its characteristic chew) into a smooth pliable ball; rested briefly. Each piece of dough flattens between palms, takes a frozen filling ball, wraps around, rolls smooth, a hidden ball-in-ball. Boiled in water until they float and the outer dough is translucent (about 4 minutes from when the water comes back to boiling). Served in small bowls in a hot ginger-osmanthus syrup.

1 hour 15 minutes Serves4