Chapter 84: Roasting Egg Tarts

Chapter 84 Baking Egg Tarts

The day before the Lantern Festival, Shen Miao hung a "Closed" sign on her shop door early in the morning and informed a few idlers to spread the word to the yamen, watchtowers, and entertainment venues that she would be taking the day off.

Indeed, Shen Miao, who never took a break even on New Year's Day, had decided to rest. It wasn't like the sun rose from the west, but because Yan Shu and a few others arrived with cows and several carts full of goods.

Chen Chuan started getting up early every day to spend an hour learning characters and laws at Deng Lawyer's place before returning home. Xiang Jieer also officially began learning basic skills like stance and breathing techniques from Ninth Geer.

The child was indeed bold; she even told Ninth Geer that she wanted to try horseback riding. So, Xie Qi discussed with Shen Miao the idea of going horseback riding in the suburbs after lunch to relax.

Shen Miao thought that going out of the city would also allow them to check on the progress of the duck farm construction. Artisan He had already built the duck shed before the New Year, but the warehouse and walls were not yet completed. She had been too busy with the New Year celebrations and preparing meals to check on it recently, so this was a good opportunity.

She readily agreed.

Today was an exceptionally rare sunny day, with the rain stopped and the snow completely melted. The usually weak sunlight of the first lunar month finally showed some strength, baking Bianjing City like the egg tarts being baked in the Shen family's earthen kiln. The air even had a fluffy, warm pastry-like feel.

Long bamboo poles were set up on the courtyard walls of every house on East Willow Lane, filled with colorful patterned quilts. Tall people like Ninth Geer had to walk with their heads down from West Lane to East Lane, passing under the quilts that smelled of sunshine and cotton.

In the Shen family's small courtyard, Xiang Jieer hugged Kylin, and Yan Shu held a three-month-old calf. The two greedy cats sat on small stools, guarding the earthen kiln that emitted a rich milky aroma.

Yan Shu had arrived late last night. He, Qiu Hao, the cowherd, and Zhou Da's family had driven three carts: one with Ninth Geer's luggage, one full of local products from Chenzhou that Ninth Geer had collected, and another carrying a cow still nursing its calf. Due to the heavy load and the live cow, they had to stop and rest frequently, taking two more days than Xie Qi to arrive.

This morning, Yan Shu came knocking with the cow and a pile of local products. When Shen Miao saw the assortment of boxes and the pair of cows, she was momentarily stunned.

Ninth Geer had returned a few days ago but hadn't mentioned bringing so many things.

It took an hour just to sort through the various specialties Ninth Geer had brought. But everything he brought was incredibly practical. As Shen Miao unpacked and organized, she found uses for everything: daylilies, garlic, and other foods she could use daily in her shop. The Chenzhou garlic was particularly large and pungent, perfect for making fragrant garlic oil.

Two boxes of black pottery from Chenzhou, made by the same kiln and the same master, had a mirror-like black glaze. They replaced all the mismatched bowls, spoons, and plates in her shop due to different production batches.

Now, the noodle bowls and plates were replaced with uniformly glazed black pottery. The beautiful pottery made even the simplest yangchun noodles look elegant.

The lanterns and "mud dogs" were also a hit. There were all sizes and styles, captivating the children, especially Xiang Jieer. She spent over half an hour picking out her favorites in front of the boxes of lanterns and mud dogs. Even Ji Geer, who was older, couldn't resist and took a mud dog painted as a scholar holding a scroll, placing it on his desk.

Chen Chuan returned from his "tutoring" just in time. Xiang Jieer let him pick his favorite mud dog and, realizing there were still many left, hesitantly asked Xie Qi if they could share them with Liu Douhua and the others.

Xie Qi smiled, "These were brought for you to play with. You can share them with anyone you like."

After distributing them to her family and secretly hiding her favorites in her room, Xiang Jieer happily called over her neighborhood friends to share. The Shen family courtyard became as lively as during the New Year. Liu Douhua was so touched that she told Xiang Jieer she wanted to be best friends forever.

And then there was the most significant gift—the cow, complete with a cowherd.

The cowherd was a family servant of the Xie family, who had been raising cows for generations and was simply named Niu (Cow) Thirty.

Over time, Shen Miao learned that many people were named after numbers, likely because they were born on the 30th day of a month or year.

Niu Thirty confidently patted the cow and introduced it to Shen Miao, "Ninth Geer wanted a cow that could produce milk. After much selection, I chose this one from the herd. It's the strongest and gentlest cow on the estate. When it gave birth, it didn't need any help; it delivered the calf smoothly on its own."

Shen Miao curiously approached the cow, letting it sniff her hand. The cow looked at her with gentle eyes and wagged its tail lightly. Niu Thirty said, "It's not angry. You can even ride it, Madam Shen."

"It's still nursing its calf; I won't ride it," Shen Miao replied, simply stroking its back. The cow's fur wasn't as soft as a cat's or dog's, being a bit rough, but Shen Miao still liked it. The cow's coat was a light wheat color, unlike the deeper brown of other cows. It had large, calm eyes and a pink nose.

Its forehead was broad, its ears round, and its frame was quite large for a cow, standing about 1.3 meters tall, which was quite tall for a cow, almost as tall as a bull.

It was rare to see such a good-looking cow at first glance.

Niu Thirty also mentioned that this cow was only four years old, at its strongest and most productive milking age. It was currently at its peak milk production. Shen Miao squatted down to watch it nurse its calf, which was also a female and looked very similar, with white spots on its nose, hooves, and belly.

After the calf finished nursing, Niu Thirty milked a dou (over 7 liters) of milk for Shen Miao.

Milk! It was the milk she had always hesitated to buy!

Shen Miao's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the freshly squeezed, warm milk—creamy white with a hint of yellow and frothy bubbles.

Countless milk-related breads and cakes flooded her mind: milk cake, egg tarts, baked milk, fried milk, egg milk pancakes, double-skin milk, red bean cheese cake... and milk tea! Sweet milk tea, salty milk tea—all the various flavors of milk tea from later generations, wouldn’t she be able to drink them all now?

Shen Miao swallowed, her mouth watering at the thought.

Xie Qi, holding a cat, sat on the porch, quietly gazing at Shen Miao’s joyful, sparkling eyes. Seeing Shen Miao so happy, his heart felt as if it were steeped in sweet, creamy milk, his eyes curving with joy, and his lips unconsciously curling up high.

He only remembered Shen Miao lamenting not being able to drink milk tea, but he didn’t know she loved milk so much. If he had known earlier, he should have sent it over sooner. Xie Qi reflected inwardly, feeling he had sent it too late.

But Shen Miao quickly snapped out of the joy of having milk, instructing Niu Sanshi to help boil the squeezed milk over a low heat, then turned back to sit beside Xie Qi, asking seriously, "Ninth Brother, how much does this cow cost? Forget about the food—such a valuable animal, I can’t accept it so casually."

Xie Qi smiled, "Ten coins," as if joking.

Shen Miao was speechless, and said seriously, "Be serious."

Plow oxen were very precious in this era, and cows were harder to raise than sheep, donkeys, and other livestock. A good cow was far more expensive. She estimated in her heart, "At least several dozen strings of cash, right?"

"Shen Miao, there’s no need to feel uneasy," Xie Qi raised the cat’s paw and shook it left and right, smiling gently, "Just think of this cow as payment for me, Yan Shu, and Qiu Hao to enjoy meals at your house in the future."

Her house didn’t serve dragon meat—how long could several dozen strings of cash last! Besides, Xie Qi had already paid thirty strings of cash when he took the academy exam, and it still hadn’t been used up. Shen Miao wanted to speak, but Xie Qi instead nuzzled the cat, like Kylin, looking up at her with clear eyes, sighing, "It’s only been a few days, yet Madam Shen has grown so distant with me..."

Shen Miao choked.

"If today it’s just a cow that divides us, would I even dare to visit tomorrow?" His eyes filled with a bit of pity, looking at Shen Miao as if afraid of being let down, "That day... didn’t Madam Shen agree?"

Shen Miao suddenly remembered Xiang Jieer’s statement about heartless men a few days ago. Children’s words are innocent, but at this moment she truly felt like she’d become a heartbreaker, like Shen Shimei.

Under Xie Qi’s intense, bright gaze, she couldn’t bear it any longer, coughed dryly, and found a very lame excuse: "I think I hear the milk boiling—I’ll go make some egg milk puff pastries."

Watching Shen Miao’s retreating back as she feigned nonchalance and slipped into the kitchen, Xie Qi suppressed a smile and lowered his eyes, meeting Kylin’s confused almond eyes, he reached out and rubbed its round head. But in the end, he couldn’t hold back his laughter, he hugged the cat and laughed silently, his shoulders slightly shaking, leaning back on the porch.

He had long realized that Shen Miao was tender-hearted but not easily swayed.

As the eldest sister, Shen Miao was used to appearing shrewd and capable in front of others, opening her arms to protect the people around her and her younger siblings who had not yet grown up. She was unyielding and wise, yet her heart was as soft as the Bian River’s thawing ice in spring.

Adapting to circumstances with a gentle heart, she had unknowingly soothed him many times.

Perhaps she still doesn’t know to this day, but Xie Qi has always remembered, remembered her saying that people won’t always be unlucky, remembered her saying that people only have this one life, remembered her saying that meeting him, she also felt very lucky.

He remembered the taste of every delicious food she made for him.

Xie Qi picked up the cat and covered his entire face with it, burying himself in the soft cat’s belly, closing his eyes in the warmth.

The overwhelming feelings he held back were too obvious to confess, but... he really thought so—everything he had, and even himself, he was willing to offer to Shen Miao.

Only if she wished for it.

***

As soon as Shen Miao entered the kitchen, escaping from Ninth Brother’s mournful accusing gaze, surrounded by the smell of firewood and milk, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Niu Sanshi stirred the milk in a deep, barrel-shaped clay urn with a spoon, small bubbles rolling inside, the pale white milk had been boiling for a while.

Boiling the milk for about a quarter of an hour is enough to sterilize and remove the fishy smell, no need to boil for a long time.

Shen Miao asked him to move the pottery urn aside and let the milk cool naturally to a warm state.

Then she started kneading the dough to make egg tart crusts.

Shen Miao had a very simple and versatile method for making egg tart crusts, which rarely failed once mastered.

First, make the oil dough: Pour 150 grams of flour, one teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of sugar, half a cup of cold water, and one tablespoon of lard into a wide-mouthed pottery basin. Knead thoroughly until the dough is smooth and elastic, ensuring each grain of flour is coated with oil. This step is crucial, as the crispiness of the egg tart crust entirely depends on it.

In another bowl, mix one cup of water and two tablespoons of granulated sugar, stirring well with a whisk to make sugar water. Then add three egg yolks to the sugar water and continue stirring until well combined. Add 150 grams of flour and knead by hand into a smooth dough. This is the water-oil dough.

The water-oil dough is used to wrap around the oil dough. During baking, the moisture in the water-oil dough will gradually evaporate, causing the oil dough to expand layer by layer, resulting in a flaky and crispy crust.

After preparing both doughs, take them outside, as the kitchen is too hot. They need to rest in a cooler room temperature for about half an hour.

While the dough is resting, Shen Miao takes a small pottery jar and places it on the stove. She first toasts a pinch of tea leaves over low heat until fragrant, then adds some granulated sugar and continues toasting until the mixture turns golden brown and bubbles. She then pours in the boiled milk and cooks it for a while, adding some sweetened red beans (small, cooked red beans mixed with sugar). This completes the caramel red bean milk tea.

Once the milk tea is ready, she can proceed to make the egg tarts.

Retrieve the rested dough and place both doughs on the cutting board. Roll each into a slightly larger round sheet, about 1/4 inch thick, with the oil dough on top and the water-oil dough underneath. Align the centers and ensure the edges are even before stacking them together.

Next, lift the edges of the water-oil dough to wrap around the oil dough, pinching the seams tightly to ensure the oil dough doesn't leak out. This completes the wrapping step.

After wrapping, gently roll the dough into a rectangle with a rolling pin. Starting from the longer side, roll it up tightly like a scroll, ensuring there are no air pockets, forming a long cylindrical dough. Finally, cut it into small pieces, about 1-inch pieces, and press each into a flat round disc, about 1/8 inch thick.

Take some wide-mouthed small pottery cups, lightly greased if necessary, to act as molds. Place the round disc into the cup and press it with your fingers to fit snugly. This forms a cup-shaped egg tart crust.

Place the egg tart crusts into the earthen oven to bake first. While waiting, prepare the egg filling. Mix sugar, milk, and egg liquid together, then strain twice through a fine-mesh cheesecloth to remove foam and any unevenly mixed particles. This ensures a smoother and more delicate texture.

The first round of baking should be done when the edges of the crusts turn slightly golden and firm. Baking the crusts separately is necessary because Shen Miao is using an earthen oven without a temperature display, relying solely on experience. Baking the crusts twice ensures better control over the crispiness and prevents the bottom from getting soggy when the filling is added.

When pouring the filling, be careful not to overfill, as it may overflow during the second baking. Over-mixing the egg filling should also be avoided to prevent the filling from becoming too dense.

Shen Miao didn't have time to make whipped cream or butter today, so these are Chinese-style flaky milk egg tarts. Since pure milk has a higher water content, extra care is needed with the flour and egg ratios. Time it precisely. When light golden brown spots start to appear on the surface, bake for a little longer, or the tarts may collapse.

The aroma of the egg tarts is truly captivating. Even while baking in the earthen oven, the slightly caramelized milky aroma fills the entire courtyard. In this era, children from common families rarely have the chance to consume dairy products. Ji Geer and Xiang Jieer likely haven't tasted milk since they were weaned at one year old. As soon as the aroma wafts out, Xiang Jieer loses interest in playing and sits intently by the oven, waiting.

Yan Shu reacts similarly. Milk is a precious commodity, and even though the Xie family raises many cows and sheep, as a servant, he rarely gets to enjoy it, let alone such a delicately crafted egg and milk pastry. Dairy is especially rare for servants, making this treat all the more special.

It's likely that no one in the entire Bianjing City has ever tasted this before! He thought the cricket cakes with yellow butter (a type of fried pastry) were the best pastries, but Shen Miao has come up with something new. Yan Shu can't take his eyes off the oven as he inhales the aroma.

Shen Miao spent the entire morning, making some mistakes along the way, but finally produced three trays of nearly perfect "milk egg puff pastries." Although the shape differs from modern versions, the taste is largely the same. They pair perfectly with the freshly made caramel red bean milk tea.

Each person gets two, and they are quickly devoured.

Tang Er and Fu Xing stand at the kitchen door, eating curiously. They first sniff the pastries, then carefully take a bite along the crispy edge. A Tao sits under the osmanthus tree, waving her hand from the heat but refusing to spit out even a crumb. The osmanthus tree symbolizes good fortune and sweetness, making the setting even more delightful.

Shen Miao hands one to Xie Qi, and the two sit on the porch, watching the children eat.

Especially watching Xiang Jieer and Yan Shu eat, the two adorable little ones are so engrossed that they don't even look up. Just watching them makes you think whatever they're eating must be delicious.

Fresh out of the oven, the egg tarts are too hot to eat. The layered, crispy crust holds a thick, trembling custard filling, but biting into it burns the tongue, so one must wait patiently.

Xiang Jieer, being impatient, gets burned before Shen Miao can warn her, but she doesn't get angry. Instead, she puffs her cheeks and blows on the tart.

Seeing her get burned, Yan Shu hesitates to take a bite. He sticks out his tongue to test it and soon joins Xiang Jieer, both puffing their cheeks and blowing hard. This comparison to two little frogs brings a smile to everyone's face.

After a short wait, the two children first drink half a cup of milk tea to satisfy their cravings. The milk tea is also delicious, sweet and creamy. Xiang Jieer and Yan Shu end up with milk stains around their lips, which they lick off.

Finally, when the outer crust of the egg tarts is no longer too hot to handle, the inside is just the right temperature.

Now they could finally dig in.

Hot and sweet, the egg and milk filling inside was extremely tender, smooth, and sweet. The outer layers of flaky pastry crumbled as soon as they were bitten into. Xiang Jieer was so frantic that she kept scooping crumbs off her clothes and shoving them into her mouth, but before they could reach her mouth, the pastry in her hand crumbled even more, making it impossible to eat.

"So much has fallen, and I haven’t even gotten to eat it," Xiang Jieer lamented, catching the crumbs with her hands.

"Wait for me, I’ll grab some plates!" Yan Shu darted into the kitchen and brought back two plates. The two of them used the plates to catch the crumbs, ensuring that the crumbs fell safely onto the plates. After they finished what they had in their hands, they could then eat the crumbs.

Chen Chuan approached the egg tart with the caution of someone facing a formidable foe. He nibbled at the pastry without fully biting through. Then, as if sneaking up on the egg tart, he swiftly slurped up the filling, ensuring that the pastry and the creamy egg filling all went into his mouth without a single drop being wasted.

And he continued to eat it this way with each bite.

Ji Geer, meanwhile, was far more restrained. After living independently at the academy, his personality had become more steady and quiet, and he had developed the shyness typical of older children his age. He ate alone in his room, as if embarrassed to be seen covered in crumbs and looking messy.

The lard-based Chinese pastry had to be eaten piping hot; otherwise, once it cooled, the lard flavor would become overpowering and somewhat greasy.

After finishing one, Shen Miao started drinking her milk tea and thought to herself: When I have time, I should make some butter.

This weather is ideal for freezing butter into blocks, so I can cut off a piece whenever I need it.

Then I can bake a batch of warm, flaky, and airy pineapple buns, cut them in the middle but not all the way through, and sandwich a slice of cold, salty butter in the opening. Biting into it before the butter fully melts would be pure bliss.

This is a Cantonese teahouse specialty, and in her previous life, Shen Miao always ordered butter pineapple buns during morning tea.

As for the 'egg and milk mille-feuille,' Xie Qi had never tasted anything like it and found it utterly fascinating.

With a thin spoon, he carefully slid it between the cup and the pastry, carefully lifting the edge of the pastry above the rim of the cup to remove the egg tart intact from the mold.

He held it gingerly, afraid to squeeze too hard. The flaky layers encased the tender egg and milk filling, which jiggled slightly inside the crust. The surface was covered with a layer of caramelized sugar that had turned a rich brown.

Xie Qi had always been prone to diarrhea after drinking milk, so he rarely consumed dairy products.

He politely declined the milk tea, but the scent of the egg and milk mille-feuille was too tempting to resist.

The fragrance was so enticing that he couldn't help but take a bite.

With a "who cares about diarrhea" attitude, he devoured one in a few bites. The crust was so crisp it crumbled at the slightest bite, and then the tender, egg custard-like filling melted on his tongue.

It was... absolutely divine.

Xie Qi stared at the 'egg and milk mille-feuille' in his hand, utterly amazed, then raised his eyes in disbelief to look at Shen Miao, almost speechless from the assault of such a sweet, creamy, and fragrant delight.

Shen Miao was eating too, already brainstorming ways to tweak the recipe next time, when she caught Xie Qi's astonished gaze. She brushed the crumbs from her lips and asked, "What’s up?"

"Nothing, it's just incredibly delicious," Xie Qi shook his head, then lowered his eyes to take another bite of the last half in his hand. The second one had cooled a bit, but the filling had set like a creamy pudding, so delicious that it made his eyebrows relax.

Just moments ago, he’d been wondering if Shen Miao was some kind of culinary goddess.

How could she come up with so many delightful and delicious foods that could make one forget their worries and even feel happy? After finishing, Xie Qi was still pondering this question.

After finishing one egg tart, Yan Shu eyed the last one, hesitating to eat it. He had wolfed down the first one but now took his time with the second, wishing he could make one egg tart last an entire day.

But the egg tarts were limited, and after finishing, he poured the crumbs from the plate into his mouth.

Then he slipped off to the donkey shed—now packed with a donkey, a horse, and two cows, though one was a calf, the space was so cramped that the horse was quite agitated.

Zhou Da, feeling sorry for the horse, had already taken it out and planned to take it for a slow walk around the streets. Horses aren’t meant to be cooped up, and after today’s countryside ride, Zhou Da would take this RollsRoyce horse back to Chenzhou, who would then bring a donkey instead.

If it weren’t for the fact that they had brought too many things this time and Ninth Geer was eager to return home, they wouldn’t have used it. There was no other choice; among all the horses raised by the Xie family, only this one could be called a "thousand-mile horse," as it was the fastest.

Yan Shu ran to the donkey shed, passing by Eleven who was continuously grazing, and crouched next to the cow "Twelve Niang Shen." He whispered into the cow's ear, gently pleading, "Once we're out of the city, I'll definitely be careful to dig up the freshest and juiciest wild vegetables for you. Do you prefer purslane or shepherd's purse? Or both? If you eat my vegetables, you must produce more milk."

"Your milk makes such delicious pastries," Yan Shu, having made his pact with the cow, hugged the cow's head, savoring the taste, licking his lips, and murmuring with admiration, "I should have persuaded Ninth Geer to bring more cows..."

The cricket cake was ultimately surpassed. Yan Shu moved the cricket cake from his heart's favorite pastry and solemnly listed the egg and milk puff pastry as the best pastry he had ever eaten in the world!

Without a doubt. Yan Shu nodded seriously.

After baking the egg tarts, Shen Miao roasted two whole chickens in the earthen oven and then found some frozen pears, sugared persimmon cakes, jujubes, dried apricots, and other snacks. The group was ready to go out of the city to ride horses.

Shen Miao asked A Tao, Tang Er, and Fu Xing if they wanted to go. A Tao immediately stood up and blocked them both behind her, firmly stating, "No, you and Ninth Geer can take the children to play."

"Tang Er and Fu Xing aren't going either?" Shen Miao still leaned over to ask again.

As soon as Tang Er and Fu Xing opened their mouths, A Tao elbowed them back, and they both shook their heads in unison, saying, "No, we're not going."

Fu Xing said he wanted to roast a duck, and Tang Er said he wanted to wash the sheepskin's fur, cut it off, and later spin it into felt thread to make some common northern wool felt hats.

Their reasons were sufficient, so Shen Miao didn't insist. But... A Tao's smile was odd.

She smiled at Shen Miao, then at Xie Qi, her smile inexplicably very kind.

Zhou Da had also finished walking the RollsRoyce horse and returned.

Yesterday, when they drove here, there were three carriages, so there were a total of four horses. If A Tao and the others were going, they would have hitched two carriages to ride out. But now that they were staying, the horses were just enough.

Besides the RollsRoyce horse, the other three were draft horses used to pull carriages, small in stature but good-tempered and steady on their feet. Zhou Da had his son Zhou Chu Yi come to help lead the horses, assisting Xiang Jieer and Chen Chuan to ride one; Ji Geer and Yan Shu rode another.

Shen Miao originally thought she would ride the remaining short, cute draft horse.

But Ninth Geer said with a serious face, "Shen Miao has never ridden a horse before, and there's no one else familiar with horses to lead her. Shen Miao, why don't you ride Red Steed? I'll lead the horse."

As soon as he said this, before Shen Miao could speak, A Tao interjected, "Isn't the lady still wanting to see the duck pond? If we dawdle out of the city like this, we might not make it back before dark."

She earnestly suggested, "Why don't Ninth Geer and the lady ride together, quickly take the lady out of the city to see the fields. Xiang Jieer and Ji Geer can come slowly later, so we won't waste time."

Xie Qi was first startled, then suddenly understood, coughed lightly, and clasped his hands in thanks to A Tao: "A Tao is more thoughtful." Then he turned around, blushing, and asked Shen Miao, "Then... it's getting late, we should not delay, I... I'll help you onto the horse?"

He lowered his eyes, not daring to look at her, only showing his reddened ears, and stretched out his hand towards her from afar.

Shen Miao glared at A Tao, but when she saw Xie Qi's hand, her heart softened again.

His hand was large and slender, with thin calluses on the tiger's mouth, capable of tightly gripping a long stick to sweep out a fierce wind. But at this moment, his palm was facing up, the slightly curved fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly with nervousness.

Her heart felt as if stung, Shen Miao was stunned, but eventually took a step forward.

She placed her hand steadily into his warm palm.