Chinese Custart Tarts

From Australian Women's Weekly Chinese Cooking Class Cookbook.

• Ready In: 55 mins
• Serves: 30

Ingredients

• 3  cups plain flour
• 185  g  lard
• 5  tablespoons hot water
• 1  pinch salt

• Custard

• 3  eggs
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups milk
• 3  drops  yellow food coloring

Directions

1. To make the pastry, sift flour and salt into bowl. Rub lard into flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. Mix in hot water to form a firm dough. Knead lightly on lightly floured surface.
3. Roll out 3mm (1/8 inch) thickness. Cut out with an 8cm (3 inch) fluted cutter. Put into greased patty tins.
4. Beat together eggs and sugar. Gradually add milk. Mix in food colouring. Mix well.
5. Pour custart carefully into prepared pastry cases. Bake in hot oven (250°C/475°F) for 10 minutes, reduce heat to moderately hot (220°C/425°F), cook further 10-15 minutes, until set. Keep an eye on these while cooking, as mine only needed the first 10 minutes.