King-Sized Egg Custard Tart (Dai Don Tot)

King-Sized Egg Custard Tart (Dai Don Tot)
Adapted from Rhoda Yee’s Dim Sum.

Makes: one 10-inch tart

Ingredients:

For tart pastry:
½ cup butter
1 egg
6 tablespoons sugar
2 cups sifted all purpose flour

For Filling:
2 whole extra large eggs
3 extra large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
½ cup half-and-half
1 cup sugar

* Important Note: Makes sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Especially the butter and eggs – I leave them out overnight if I plan on baking in the morning.

Preparation:

To make pastry:
1. Using a hand mixer, cream butter, egg, and sugar. Beat well.
2. Add flour, 1 cup at a time. The dough will be mealy.
3. Work quickly with your hands to gather dough into a ball. Knead lightly so the mixture adheres. You may chill it at this point while making the filling.

To make filling:
1. Be sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Beat whole eggs with egg yolks well. Beat at low speed (don’t over beat).
2. Add sugar, then milk, and half-and-half. Let mixture rest of 10-15 minutes.
3. Skim off all the foam from the mixture to make sure the custard has a smooth appearance.

Assembling:
1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Press the dough into the tart shell, forming an even layer across the bottom and all the way up the sides. Place the tart shell on top of a baking sheet lined with foil.
3. Fill tart shell with filling, almost to the top.
4. Bake for 45-60 minutes, until crust is golden and filling has firmed up. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Loosen slightly by inserting a toothpick along the sides.

Do-ahead Notes: Custard should be made no more than ½ day ahead.