Mini Egg Pies with creamy custard filling and a super buttery crust are the ultimate snack or dessert. They are fun to eat and make a great party or on-the-go sweet treat.
Before there was Kawaling Pinoy, my long-time dream was to have my own restaurant or catering services. Over the years, I thought of quitting my full-time job and taking the risky plunge, but the prospect of jumping into the water with both feet was daunting, especially with a dependent child still in college.
All I could do was take small steps and see where they brought me. I contacted a few restaurants, and Asian supermarkets in our area to offer my mini egg pies, leche flan, and cassava cake on a consignment basis and had a friend design a packaging label on Photoshop for my products.
I'd come home from work late in the afternoon, bake my goodies till dawn, and deliver them the next day before I went to work again. It was an exhausting one-person show but nonetheless exciting.
If you happened to be at a certain Asian supermarket in Carson, California mid-October of 2010 and saw a suspicious-looking woman taking pictures of their refrigerator, that would have been me. It was so surreal to see something I baked actually on the shelves for sale!
Unfortunately, after a year of sweating it out, I had to accept it was all but wishful thinking. Although the venture was successful on its own merits, it was too small-scaled to warrant hiring another pair of hands to help or to give up my job to focus on it a hundred percent.
But even if I don't sell these mini egg pies anymore, I still regularly make them for potlucks or gatherings. Conveniently bite-sized with a crust so crisp and flaky and a custard filling so smooth and velvety!
Give them a try and let me know in the comments if I could have been the next Sara Lee if I held on to the dream a little longer. ๐
Helpful tips
- The key to buttery, flaky crusts is starting with VERY cold ingredients. I recommend freezing the butter cubes and chilling the flour for a few minutes to maintain cool temperatures.
- For a tender crust, use ice-cold water and add just enough amount for the dough to hold together. The dough should not be sticky but shaggy and feel almost dry to the touch.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out, especially during hot weather. Work fast while rolling and lining the muffin pans, so the dough doesn't heat up. If it softens, tears apart, or sticks on the work surface, return it to the refrigerator to chill for about 5 minutes.
- Handle the dough gently and do not over-manipulate to prevent gluten formation.
How to store
Wrap the pies tightly with film, transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Note that the crust can become soggy over time.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 8 ounces butter
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ยผ cup ice water
For the Custard FIlling
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Cut butter into cubes and freeze for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Add butter to flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or by pinching the fat into the flour mixture with hands. Work them together until resembling coarse cornmeal with pea-like, butter-speckled pieces.
- Slowly drizzle ice water to the flour-butter mixture and with hands, mix until just combined. Gently gather dough and press into a ball. If the dough is too crumbly and does not hold together, add more water a tablespoon at a time. DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH LIQUID and DO NOT OVERWORK DOUGH.
- Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine egg yolks, evaporated milk, and condensed milk until blended. Using a cheesecloth, strain custard mixture.
- Divide dough into 12 balls. Place each ball between two sheets of parchment paper and with a rolling pin, gently flatten each ball into 4-inch diameter and โ -inch thickness.
- Spray holes of a 12-hole muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lift each flattened dough and place into each muffin holes and with hands, gently press on sides and bottom. Trim off excess dough on edges.
- Pour custard mixture into prepared dough-lined muffin pan up to ยพ full.
- Bake in a 350 F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of custard comes out clean.ย
- Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing from pan. Best served at room temperature.
Notes
- The key to buttery, flaky crusts is starting with VERY cold ingredients. I recommend freezing the butter cubes and chilling the flour for a few minutes to maintain cool temperatures.
- For a tender crust, use ice-cold water and add just enough amount for the dough to hold together. The dough should not be sticky but shaggy and feel almost dry to the touch.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out, especially during hot weather. Work fast while rolling and lining the muffin pans, so the dough doesn't heat up. If it softens, tears apart, or sticks on the work surface, return it to the refrigerator to chill for about 5 minutes.
- Handle the dough gently and do not over-manipulate to prevent gluten formation.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Alyssa says
I made it today for our birthday party. Thank you for the recipe!
Cindy says
This was sooo delicious! I didnโt have the butter nor the time to make my own crust. But I had a random frozen pie crust in my freezer. I just made an entire pie. It was so good,
Any other ideas on how what to use as a crust when crunched for time?
Mary says
Hello,
Could you use premade pie tarts?
Thank you ๐
lorenmae says
the best recipe!! thank you po!!
Reese says
This is literally the best recipe! thanks ms lalaine!! ๐
Cienna says
Is it unsalted or salted butter?
Lalaine Manalo says
Unsalted ๐
ELLE says
Hi Ms. Lalaine, i have a question, what's the difference po if i use 6 whole eggs instead of 6 egg yolks? Ano po mangyayari? And if 6 egg yolks lang, pwede ko po ba ibeat and egg whites until soft peak then ihalo din po sa mixture to get a burnt like sa top?
May says
I put too much filling & the crust were too small it overflowed... Any suggestions next time...
angelika says
ano po tools and equiment na ginamit nyo sa pagawa ng mini eg pies
Vi says
Hi. Have you tried doing this recipe with a whole egg?
Aileen De los Santos Mette says
For the filling,what did u used eggyolks or the whole eggs?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yolks only ๐
Jce says
Can I use graham pie
Lalaine Manalo says
Graham cracker crust is a bit different from pie crust, but it's worth a try.
Hilda says
Hi, today i tried your recipe and it's really yummy. And the idea of having it in a muffin size (super love it)! Perfect size and bite for everyone. My kids and husband loved it, too. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe. God bless
joan says
hello can inuse stand mixer with dough hook to make the crust.... thank you.
ronalyn matilla says
Helllo po, pede po ba ang puff pastry? thanks!
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, you can use puff pastry.