Malaysian Style Egg Tarts "my way" - sweet start to the New Year!

Happy New Year 2011!  Wish all readers a healthy, and happy new year.  Hope all your goals, dreams and resolutions come true!  One of my many resolutions this year is to be resourceful in terms of food.  I think I have a bad habit of buying too much of food and not being able to finish them before the expiration date.  With the 3 days new year break, I decided not to step into the supermarket but instead try to cook stuff up with whatever that I have got at home.  To kick start with this tiny step challenge, I decided to try making Malaysian style egg tarts "my way" with the remaining store bought frozen puff pastry I have in my freezer and eggs that I have got in the fridge.  I have been meaning to try this combination for a while but for whatever reason, have not gotten around to trying them until now.  I have tried making eggs tarts from scratch but somehow can't quite achieve the desire results especially the pastry bit. 

For those not familiar with Malaysian style egg tarts, it is basically egg custard with a puff pastry base.  It is a popular "ÿum cha" item in Chinese Restaurants and also a common Asian take away breakfast item.  As it is sweet, it is most often serve with Chinese tea or green tea at the side to wash it down.  Anyways, recipe as per below, enjoy. 

Malaysian Style Egg Tarts "my way"
(yield 4 medium size tarts)
Ingredients:
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry
1 eggs
1.5 tbs caster sugar
60ml warm water
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
2 drops yellow coloring, optional

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 180C.
2) Grease 4 6cm diameter removable base tart moulds.  Leave aside for use later
3) Bring out the puff pastry from freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes
4) In a bowl, whisk the egg with caster sugar until light in color and creamy.
5) Pour the water into the egg/sugar mixture and stir till incorporate.  Add vanilla essence and yellow coloring if using.  Stir and incorporate.  Using a sieve, sieve mixture to another bowl.  Leave aside for use later
6) Cut 4 rounds from puff pastry sheet that can fit nicely into tart moulds. 
7) Fit rounds into tart moulds.
8) Pour the sieved egg mixture into the moulds until almost to the top (but not quite the top yet).
9) Place the moulds onto a baking tray and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until set.  Serve warm with tea at the side.  Enjoy:)