Milk tart, or “melk tert”, is a traditional South African dessert that consists of a light buttery pastry crust filled with velvety smooth milky vanilla custard and sprinkled with cinnamon.
INGREDIENTS
Pastry
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon salt (a pinch)
- ½ cup butter
- 1 egg
Custard filling
- 4 cups whole milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt (a pinch)
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup water or milk (for slurry)
- ground cinnamon – to garnish
DIRECTIONS
Pastry
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F.
- Mix the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder with a whisk to make sure they are evenly distributed. Cube the butter and rub it into the mix. Work quickly to avoid the butter from melting. The mix should look like a fine sandy texture.
- Whisk the egg and add it to the mix. Bring it together into a dough, then wrap it in plastic wrap or parchment, before chilling for 15 minutes in the fridge.
- Flour your workbench and roll out the pastry to about three credit cards thick (1/8 inch). Butter your baking dish and line the case, trimming any excess pastry. Move it to the fridge to chill before baking.
- Weigh down the pastry with pastry weights or parchment filled with rice. Blind bake for 12 minutes with the weights, then remove and bake for another 12 minutes until golden brown.
- Chill the pastry on a wire rack, or leave it in the baking form if you plan on serving it in its baking form.
Custard and filling tart
- Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Cook slowly over medium-low heat and constantly whisk until it just starts to bubble and thicken.
- Pour the custard into your tart case while hot. Fill it to the brim and even out any creases that may form at the top.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon powder and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to fully set the custard. When ready, slice and serve as is.
