| How to Make Egg Tarts Posted: 26 Sep 2018 01:00 AM PDT While there are many variations of egg tarts, the Chinese style are the most popular. The basic premise is the same, however: after tucking disks of dough into tart tins, you fill them with custard, then bake them. Once you get the hang of the basic process, you can experiment with other types of dough, such as puff pastry. EditIngredients Tart Shells - 11 tablespoons (156 g) of unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup (115 g) of granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) of all-purpose flour
Custard Filling - 1/2 cup (115 g) of granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- of milk
- of heavy cream
- 8 large yolks
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Makes 16 tarts EditCreating the Shells - Grease a muffin pan or 16 tart tins. This recipe makes enough dough and custard for 16 tarts. You can use a 12 cup muffin pan, but then you'll have to bake the remaining 4 tarts in a separate batch.[1] Alternatively, you can use 16 foil tart tins instead.[2]
- If you're using tart tins, place them on a baking sheet. This will make them easier to take in and out of the oven.
- You can use pre-made tart shells if you want to. Make sure that you purchase the raw kind that you still have to bake however.
- Combine the butter, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Place 11 tablespoons (156 g) of softened, unsalted butter into a bowl. Add 1/2 cup (115 g) of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir the ingredients together with a whisk until they are evenly combined.[3]
- When measuring out the butter, refer to the tablespoon markings on the packaging. You can also use a kitchen scale.
- Don't just dump the entire stick of butter into the bowl. Cut it up into 11 pieces first. This will make it easier to mix.
- You can use a premade dough instead. Choose a tart-shell dough or a puff pastry dough.
- Mix in the egg, then the flour, until the texture is consistent. Add 1 large egg to the bowl and give it a stir with a whisk. Next, add in 1 1/2 cups (150 g) of all-purpose flour, and mix it in as well. Keep mixing until the ingredients come together to form a dough.[4]
- You may have to knead the dough by hand towards the end to ensure that everything comes together.
- Roll the dough into 16 equal-sized balls. Pat the dough out into a large square, then cut it into 16 smaller squares. Roll each square into a ball.[5]
- You can also just pull off tufts of dough and roll them into balls instead.
- Flatten the balls into thick disks. The easiest way to do this would be to roll them with a rolling pin, but you can also just squash them with the bottom of a drinking glass.[6]
- Try to make the disks about thick.[7]
- Set the disks into the muffin cups or tart tins. Gently press the dough against the bottom and sides of each muffin cup or tart tin. If you're using a muffin pan, the dough will probably reach or so from the top edge of each cup. Don't try to stretch the dough to make it fit.[8]
- If you're using tart tins, the dough should reach the rim. Press the edges of the dough with a fork for a fancier touch.[9]
- If you're using a muffin pan, you may have 4 disks left over. Stick these into the fridge for later.
- Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. Towards the end of the chilling time, you can start preparing the custard. Don't start too soon, however. Once you finish the custard, you want to get it into the oven as soon as possible.[10]
- If you're using individual tart tins, place them onto a baking sheet first.
EditMaking the Custard - Preheat your oven to . Move the rack towards the bottom-middle portion of the oven.[11]
- Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Pour 1/2 cup (115 g) of granulated sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Stir everything together with a whisk until the texture is uniform.[12]
- If you can't find cornstarch, look for corn flour instead. It's the same thing.
- Mix in the milk, cream, egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Pour of milk into the sugar mixture, then add of heavy cream. Separate the yolks from 8 eggs, then add them into the bowl as well. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, then stir everything together with a whisk.[13]
- Make sure that you're using 8 egg yolks, not 8 yolks and whites.
- Stir enough so that the yolks break and turn pale yellow.
- Strain the custard 2 times through a fine, mesh strainer. Set a fine, mesh strainer over a medium-sized bowl, then pour the custard mixture through it. Discard any curds caught in the strainer, then set it over the first bowl. Pour the custard back into the bowl through the strainer.[14]
- This will help remove any clumps or solids and ensure a smooth, silky texture.
- Pour the custard into each cup. Don't fill the cups all the way, however; stop when you're about from the top edge. If you fill the cups all the way to the top, the custard will overflow when you bake it.[15]
- If you're using a muffin pan, you'll have some custard left over. Put this into the fridge so that it doesn't spoil while you bake the first batch of egg tarts.
EditBaking the Tarts - Bake the egg tarts for 10 to 15 minutes. The key to perfect egg tarts is to bake them at a slowly-decreasing temperature. The tarts may still appear raw at this point. Instead, look at the edges of the tart shells; they're ready when they start to turn a light, golden-brown.[16]
- Reduce the temperature to and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Watch the egg tarts closely towards the end of the baking time. If the custard starts to puff up, open the oven door a crack.[17]
- If you let the custard puff up during baking, it will become too hot and collapse when you finish the tarts.
- Stick a toothpick into a tart to test for doneness. The tarts are done if the toothpick can stand up on its own. If the toothpick can't stand up on its own, let the tarts bake for another 5 minutes or so.[18]
- Take the egg tarts out of the oven and let them cool for 10 to 15 minutes. It would be best if you could do this on a wire cooling rack, but you can do it on another heat-safe surface too. Once the tarts have cooled, you can take them out of the muffin pan.
- Foil tins have a crinkled texture, which can cause the tarts to stick. It's better to just leave them there.
- Repeat the process to bake more tarts, if needed. Take the custard out of the fridge and let it return to room temperature. Press the remaining 4 disks into 4 muffin cups, then add the custard. Bake them at for 10 to 15 minutes, then at for another 10 to 15 minutes.
- If you used individual tart tins, then you probably don't need to do this, unless you ran out of tins.
- Serve the tarts warm, cold, or at room temperature. They taste the best the same day that you made them. Store any leftovers in the fridge, and enjoy them within 3 days. You can reheat the leftovers in the oven for a few minutes.[19]
- You can use a puff pastry dough to make the shells instead. Use a store-bought dough, or prepare the dough yourself using your own recipe.
EditThings You'll Need - Muffin pan or 16 tart tins
- Baking sheet, if using tart tins
- Rolling pin
- Fork
- Mixing bowl
- Strainer
- Oven
- Wire cooling rack
EditRelated wikiHows
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Keep Food Hot Posted: 25 Sep 2018 05:00 PM PDT Whether you want to keep your meal warm as you're serving it or if you are worried about food safety, keeping your food hot is an important thing to do. Luckily, there are many easy ways to do it right in your own home. You can use your kitchen appliances or insulated containers to keep food warm, use a cooler to make a hot and portable container, or serve your food on warm plates so they don't get cold. No matter how you do it, you can have a hot meal wherever you are! EditUsing Kitchen Appliances - Set a slow cooker to the "Keep Warm" setting for soups and stews. Let the cooker preheat before you transfer your food into the pot so your food doesn't cool down. The "Keep Warm" setting keeps the food near for however long you leave it on.[1]
- Slow cookers work best with wetter foods, like soups, stews, sauces, or mashed potatoes.
- Your food may continue cooking slightly or it may change in texture the longer you leave it in the pot.
- Once you turn the power off, you can safely keep the food warm in the pot for up to 2 hours.
- Keep meats and large dishes warm in the oven at . Preheat your oven to the lowest setting and transfer your hot food into an oven-safe pan. Set the pan on the middle rack and keep it in the oven for up to 2 hours.[2]
- Check the temperature of your food with a thermometer after 20 minutes to make sure it is above . If not, turn up the temperature slightly.
- Make a hot water bath on the stove for foods in pots or pans. Fill a large pan halfway full of water and set it on a medium-low setting on the stove. Check the temperature of the water with a thermometer to make sure it is around . Place another pot or pan with your food in it in the middle of the water bath.[3]
- You can use this method as long as you keep the stove at low heat and replace any evaporated water with warm water.
- Stir your food occasionally to prevent it from burning on the bottom.
- Use chafing fuels under aluminum catering dishes. Remove the cap on the fuel with a blunt object, such as a spoon. Place the chafing fuel container underneath the catering dish before you light it with a multipurpose butane lighter. The fuel will burn for up to 2 hours before it runs out. Extinguish the fuel with the cap or a snuffer when you're finished using it.[4]
- Always use caution when you work with an open flame.
- Chafing fuel can be purchased in a gel or wick form. Both will work the same way.
EditStoring Hot Food on the Go - Keep soups and stews in an insulated thermos. Transfer your soup into a tall thermos while it is still piping hot. Secure the lid tightly as soon as you're finished putting your food inside. Eat your food within 4 hours so it doesn't cool down and develop bacteria.[5]
- Look on the thermos' packaging to determine how long you can safely store food inside.
- Thermoses are typically only sized for a single serving.
- Purchase insulated thermal bags for larger dishes. Similar to the bags used for pizza delivery, thermal bags allow you to store dishes so they retain heat while you're on the go. Cover your hot dish with a lid or foil wrap before securing it in the bag. Use a thermal bag for a maximum of 3 hours before serving your dish.[6]
- Thermal bags can be purchased at big box stores or at your local kitchen specialty store. Reusable and disposable bags are available.
- Get a portable food warmer to keep foods warm in your car. Find an insulated lunchbox or cooler that can plug into the cigarette lighter jack inside your car. Fill the cooler with hot food and plug it in as you travel. The cooler will use the energy from your car to keep the food at a safe temperature.[7]
- Only have the cooler plugged in as your car is running so you don't drain your car's battery.
- Check the voltage requirement on the bag to see your cigarette lighter can output that much energy. If not, you may cause the cooler to short out.
EditMaking an Insulated Container - Line the inside of a cooler with aluminum foil. Even though a cooler is meant to keep everything cold, you can also use it to keep hot foods hot. Double-layer aluminum foil around the interior of the cooler. The aluminum will hold the heat inside your cooler.[8]
- Wrap your container of hot food with another piece of foil. Lay out a large piece of aluminum foil on your counter and set your hot container onto it. Make sure your food is piping hot as you wrap the foil around it. Use a few pieces of foil to cover the container completely.[9]
- Use an oven mitt as you wrap the foil so you don't burn yourself.
- Place the container inside the cooler. Set the container in the middle of the cooler. The heat from the container will transfer through the aluminum foil and keep the entire cooler warm.[10]
- Make 2 or 3 heat packs by filling new socks with uncooked rice. Fill new cotton socks halfway with uncooked rice. Once you have the rice inside the sock, tie a simple knot on top so none of it spills out.[11]
- Use a string to tie the socks for added security.
- Dried beans will also work similarly.
- Microwave the heat packs for 2 to 3 minutes. Use the regular settings on your microwave. Once they are finished, they will be nice and warm and they will hold heat for a while.[12]
- Place the heat packs on the sides of your food container. Fill in the large spaces on each side of your food container. This will add more heat to the cooler and help your food stay at a reasonable temperature.[13]
- Fill in any gaps in the cooler with towels. Use clean towels so your food doesn't move around while you transport it. Make sure the towels are tight against your food so they insulate the heat inside.[14]
- Put a hot water bottle on top of the towels. Fill a rubber hot water bottle with boiling water. It's easiest to pour the water into the bottle from a kettle or a pot with a spout. Place the hot water bottle on top of the cooler for one final heating element to keep your food warm.[15]
- Seal the lid of the cooler tight after you add the water bottle so no heat can escape.
- Eat the food within 2 hours. The temperature of the cooler will start to drop over time. Carry a food thermometer with you to check on the temperature of your food to make sure it is above .[16]
EditKeeping Your Plates Warm - Microwave the plates to heat them quickly. Stack your plates and put them in the microwave. Keep your microwave on its regular setting and heat them for 30 seconds per plate. Once they are finished, use an oven mitt to remove the plates since they will get hot.[17]
- Put the plates in the oven at its lowest setting if they are oven-safe. Preheat your oven to the lowest setting, usually around . Once the oven is hot, place your stacked plated inside and leave them there for a couple minutes. Use an oven mitt to take them out of the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.[18]
- Use a toaster oven that's large enough to fit your plates if you want to preserve energy.
- Purchase an electric plate warmer so you can still use your appliances. Plate warmers look like a large foldable heating pad that you can stack plates on. Plug the plate warmer in and turn it on. Wrap the entire plate in the warmer and then place another plate on top. Continue stacking the rest of your plates to heat them thoroughly for 5 minutes before you serve your food.[19]
- Plate warmers can be purchased online or in kitchen specialty stores.
- In a pinch, you can use a large heating pad meant for backs. These can be purchased at your local pharmacy.
- Keep food on the table covered with either a lid or aluminum foil so it retains heat.
- Use your car's seat warmers to keep takeout food warm while driving home.
- Keep hot food above to decrease the chance of food poisoning. If food is colder than this for 4 hours, throw it away.[20]
EditThings You'll Need EditUsing Kitchen Appliances - Slow cooker
- Oven
- Oven-safe pan or tray
- Range
- Large pan
- Chafing fuel
- Catering tray
EditStoring Hot Food on the Go - Thermos
- Thermal bag
- Electric cooler or lunchbox
EditMaking an Insulated Container - Cooler
- Aluminum foil
- Clean socks
- Uncooked rice
- Towels
- Hot-water bottle
EditKeeping Your Plates Warm - Microwave
- Oven
- Electric plate warmer
EditSources and Citations
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| How to Make Your House Look Bigger Posted: 25 Sep 2018 09:00 AM PDT A large, spacious home is what many people desire, but most homes are not like this. If your home seems small to you or if you want to make it seem bigger to potential buyers, then there are some easy strategies you can try to make your home seem bigger. Start with some quick staging techniques if you do not have much time. Then, look into furniture and decorative touches that can enhance the size of your home. If you want to do even more, you can try some remodeling options to make your house seem bigger. EditUsing Quick Staging Techniques - Declutter your home to maintain some empty space. A messy house will look smaller than a clean house because clutter reduces visible floor and wall space. Ideally, each shelf, table, desk, or other furniture item should have some empty space on it.[1]
- For example, you could place a single book on a coffee table in your living room, or a single vase on a dresser, or a single clay sculpture on a bookshelf.
- To declutter a room, try setting up 3 boxes: 1 for items to keep, 1 for items to donate, and 1 for items to throw away.
- Open the curtains and blinds to let in more light. Letting in as much light as possible will make your home appear larger. Open up all of the windows and blinds to create the illusion of more space.[2]
- Clean your windows to let in the maximum amount of light.[3]
- Move furniture to create more open areas on the floor. If your furniture is taking up most of the floor space in a room, moving it around can make a big difference. Move each of the pieces so that there will be more visible floor space around them. Some options for arranging your furniture include:
- Moving your furniture to the center of a room if you only have a few small or medium sized items. For example, you could move a few chairs to the center of the room so that they are gathered around a coffee table. This will open up the space around the backs of the chairs.[4]
- Placing larger furniture pieces at angles if you can't arrange them another way. For example, you could turn your bed or sofa so it is at an angle to a wall.
- Moving furniture to the sides of the room if you want more space to walk through. For example, you could push your sofa and chairs in the living room to the perimeters of the room.
- Taking 1 or more pieces of furniture out of a room if there is very little floor or wall space. For example, you could take 1 seldom used chair out of the living room, or remove the nightstands from your bedroom.[5]
- Turn on all the lamps and lighting fixtures in a room to illuminate it. More lamps in a room will also make the room seem bigger, but only if they are switched on. Turn on all of the lamps in your room. If you do not have very many lamps, consider adding a few more.[6]
- Light fixtures can also make a room seem larger. You could switch these on as well.
- Place something interesting in the corner of every room as a focal point. Having an accent piece will help to draw the eye to that spot in the room. Place the accent piece in a corner of the room as far away from the door as possible.[7]
- For example, you could place a decorative vase on a dresser in the far corner of a bedroom, or place an unusual object on a shelf in the corner of your home office.
EditSelecting Size-Enhancing Furniture - Choose furniture with legs to create the look of more floor space. Having some visible space under your furniture will help to make your rooms seems larger. Look for sofas, chairs, and other items that have legs rather than a base that completely covers the floor.[8]
- Retro furniture often features this type of design, but you can find plenty of modern looking furniture pieces that are up off the ground, too.
- Find furniture pieces that double as something else to save space. Multi-functional furniture can also help to make a home seem bigger because you can maintain more floor and wall space as a result. Look for furniture items that can double as something else.[9]
- For example, you could get an ottoman that doubles as a coffee table, or a desk with shelving in the sides.
- Opt for 1 or 2 large pieces of furniture to enhance a small room. While having a room filled with large furniture may dwarf a small space, 1 or 2 larger pieces of furniture can make the space seem larger.[10]
- Get a long dining room table to place in your dining area to make the room seem expansive. The long table will create a sense of space even if the room is not very big.
- Choose bookcases that go all the way from the floor to the ceiling in rooms with low ceilings. This will make the ceilings seem higher than they are.
- Choose clear tables and chairs to create the illusion of more space. Having some clear furniture can also make a room seem bigger. You can see right through it and that creates the illusion of space. Try to find a clear end table, a clear accent chair, or even a clear dining set.[11]
- If you cannot find clear items, the next best thing is items in the same color palette as the space. For example, if the walls in a room are light blue, then opt for furniture in a shade of light blue as well. This will trick the eye into thinking there is more wall and floor space.
EditUsing Decorative Touches - Opt for long curtains that match your walls to make ceilings look higher. Curtains that go from the floor to the ceiling are best, but even curtains that go from just above the window to the floor will help. Make sure to get curtains that are in the same color palette as the room they will be in, such as white curtains for a white room or light green curtains in a light green room.[12]
- Light, airy curtains will also help to enhance the size of your rooms. Opt for light materials, such as lightweight linen and cotton.[13]
- If you don't want your curtains to be the same color as your walls, another option is to get them in a similar color so that they are in the same palette.[14] For example, if your walls are tan, then you could get light brown or cream colored curtains to maintain a neutral palette.
- Place a mirror in every room to make the space seem larger. Mirrors will make the rooms in your house seem bigger, so place a mirror in every room to take advantage of this effect. Place an accent mirror on a shelf in your living room, set up a full-length mirror in your bedroom, and mount a mirror on the wall of the entryway to your home.[15]
- You could also look for furniture that has a mirror built into it, such as a coffee table with a mirror top or a dresser with an attached mirror.
- Select rugs with small prints and solid colors to enhance the size of the room. Large prints will dwarf a small room, so opt for small prints on rugs instead. Solid colors in the same palette as the room will also help to make the room appear larger.[16]
- Opt for rugs that are darker than the walls and ceilings. This will help to draw your eye up and create a sense of space.
- Try a neutral color palette to create the look of an expansive space. A neutral color palette is a great way to enhance the size of a home. Try painting and decorating with shades of off-white, nude, beige, and tan.[17]
- If you don't like neutral palettes, light greens and blues are also good choices for enhancing the size of your rooms.[18]
EditRemodeling to Make Your Home Look Bigger - Add a window or 2 to let in more light. More windows equals more light, which will make your house look bigger. If your house doesn't have very many windows, you might consider hiring someone to install another window or 2, or to expand the size of 1 or more existing windows with a replacement window.[19]
- Try adding a window to wall without windows in your living room.
- Paint the ceiling white or a bright color to draw the eye up. A gleaming white ceiling will draw the eye upward and make a room seem larger, so you could do this for every room in your house.[20] Another option is to paint your ceilings bright colors, such as lime green, orange, or yellow.[21]
- Identify the color palette of each room to help you decide what color to paint your ceilings. For example, if the palette in your bedroom is light blue, then white or a very light blue would probably be best. Opt for a paint that is at least a couple of shades lighter than the paint on the walls.
- Install wall-to-wall or ceiling-to-ceiling shelves for a spacious look. If the shelving or countertops in your home are on the small side, this may be making your home seem smaller. By installing shelves that go from the floor to the ceiling or counters that go from one wall to another, you will create the illusion of more space.[22]
- Put down some striped flooring to make a room seem like it is bigger. Striped floors create the illusion of a room that goes on forever, even if it is somewhat small. If you are in the market for new flooring, opt for a striped pattern.[23]
- For example, you could go with some classic black and white striped flooring, or you could choose striped flooring in the color palette for the room, such as blue and green striped flooring for a room with a blue and green color palette.
- Remove unnecessary doors to open up your floorplan. If there are doors in your home that you do not need, such as a door to the dining room or living room, then removing the door might help to make the space seem bigger.[24]
- Try taking the door off the hinges for a day to see if this helps. If it does, then you could permanently remove the door and any others that you don't need.
- If you want to get a professional opinion on what would work best for your home, hire an interior designer or decorator. They can suggest specific strategies to make your house seem bigger.
EditSources and Citations
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