Melktert - Milk Tart {Recipe}

Melktert is a classic South African dessert, loved by all South Africans, and every other person I have ever served it to! The pie's filling is a smooth, silky and almost white set custard topped with ground cinnamon. It is much lighter and less eggy than a traditional custard tart. The crust can be made in a variety of ways. Back in SA we would usually make a cookie crumb crust with either Tennis or Marie biscuits, but I also like it with a shortcrust pastry.

Recipe:

Make and bake a pie crust using your favourite method - cookie crumb or sweet shortcrust are the two I use the most for this pie. The pie pictured above was made with a Ginger Nut cookie crust - any crisp/crunchy cookie can be used and can add variety and interest to the pie.

My Sweet Shortcrust Recipe can be found here.

To make a Cookie Crumb Crust:
Crumb a packet of cookies/biscuits - you should end up with about 2 cups of cookie crumbs.
Combine well with 1/4 cup melted butter.
Press this mixture into your greased pie dish and bake at 180ºC for 10 minutes.

Melktert Filling                  PRINT

Ingredients:

1 L milk

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 ½ TBSP cornflour

2 ½ TBSP flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 TBSP butter

Method:

Bring milk to the boil on medium heat.

Beat eggs, then add sugar, cornflour, flour and salt and beat again to well combined.

Pour boiling milk into the egg mixture while stirring, combine well, then return to pot.

Put on medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and just starts to boil.

(If the mixture sticks to the bottom of the pan the temperature is too high.)

Add butter and vanilla and stir in well.

Pour into baked pie crust.

Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon.

Allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge. Best served chilled.