Does the thought of a crumbly crust and soft and silky texture of egg tart make you drool? But have you ever tried making them yourself and tried them warm? Oh was it a game changer! Commonly, the first thing that comes to mind when making egg tarts is that you need an oven. Now, here’s a strange thought: Can you microwave egg tarts? Rightfully, the answer is no. However, if what you have at home is only a microwave, we may have an alternative for it. Read further to know more details about this.
Why Can’t I Use Microwave For Egg Tarts?
Before delving into greater detail, you need to understand the anatomy of an egg tart. Basically, it has a shell crust filled with egg custard. The egg custard is made by whisking eggs, milk, water, and sugar. You can actually make this using a microwave but the qualities are inferior compared to baking it in the oven.
On the other hand, the crust is made of flour, butter, egg yolk, and flavourings like salt and sugar. If you are familiar with baking pies, you’ll see that the ingredients are practically the same and in fact, some can be baked using microwave. If that is so, how come tart shells can’t be? The difference lies on the end result achieved. Pie crusts are more like flaky and airy whereas tart crusts are firmer and more compact. The heat from microwave is not enough to produce this output. You can heat it for as long as you want but you’ll only dry out the product. The result? A rubbery and lifeless piece of bread. Unlike in an oven where heat is evenly distributed, you cannot achieve that crunchy golden brown exterior in a microwave.
Why is achieving a rock solid tart shell crucial? It’s because the nature of the crust is to hold a filling. Unless its shape is intact, it will not do the purpose.
How About Microwave for Reheating?
So you gave up making your own egg tarts using microwave and just bought a pack from the downtown Chinese store. Can you microwave egg tarts for the purpose of reheating? Yes, you can and no one will stop you but we are advising you against it. Again, we are concerned about the possible end of the shell crust’s fate here. Heating it in a microwave causes the pastry base to leech out moisture. Instead of redeeming its once glorious state of being freshly hauled from the oven, you are making it worse.
If you are really craving for warm egg tarts, the convection oven is the right way. Pop it in an oven preheated at 350 ֯F for 5 minutes. You may also try to use an oven toaster for this purpose. Preheat the toaster first before tossing in your egg tarts so it won’t stay long in the warmth. Keep an eye on scorches on the filling and the crust as these signify over-reheating.
Do I Have An Alternative?
Now, if you must insist to use nothing but the microwave in making egg tarts, we got you covered with these useful hacks. But be forewarned. While these may taste good, the overall quality will still be inferior to the original oven-baked egg tarts. When making egg tarts, there are mainly two sets of procedure: preparing the dough for the shell and preparing the custard filling.
Let’s discuss the latter first. You may proceed with the usual procedure indicated on your chosen recipe for the filling and not have to worry whether you bake it in a convection oven or microwave. In fact, many are convinced that the best and easiest way to cook egg custards is through microwave.
As for the crusts, your option is to buy pre-made tart shells. They are commercially available and are intended for oven baking. If you microwave it though, there is a fat chance your crust will turn out dry. Blisters are to be expected also. Worse, it may also loose the crunch. Try spraying a tad bit of water on each piece to give extra moisture when reheating. The advantage however of using non-homemade tart shells is that you get less worry about having your crusts undercooked, lacking in firmness and shape.
A point to remember when you microwave is that the heating time and temperature depend on the type of microwave since each has its own setting. It may take you several tries and a couple of failed attempts to get it done the way you prefer it to but don’t feel discouraged. On average, heating at medium for at most 10 minutes on a 700-watt microwave will be fine. To test if it’s done, prick the custard filling with fork or any pointed kitchen utensil and check if it develops a firmer and more compact consistency. Do not overcook as the filling will develop a leathery texture. You need to check the tart as well. Remember that this is the most vulnerable part when microwaving.
What Other Baked Goodies Can I Bake Using Microwave?
Baking an egg tart in a microwave can be frustrating. Let’s face it. So if you’re done with it, you can try other baked goodies that will cook well in a microwave. Cobblers are a classic example. And so are cookies especially the moist ones. Chocolate chip cookies are an all-time favourite. Many attempted to create bars in a microwave and successfully transformed them into delectable lemon, chocolate, and other-flavored bars. It’s also possible to try to make single-pie crust with others doing a slight modification by using crushed graham and butter as base. You have a variety of options to choose from and who knows, your efforts might pay off more than just producing a leathery egg tart.
To sum everything up, we showed you the downsides of using microwave in making egg tarts but you learned of a possible alternative. We will ask it again: can you microwave an egg tart? Yes, you can but with complicated reservations and inevitable repercussions. However, you are your own chef so feel free to experiment!
