Traditional South African Milk tart (melktert)
Traditional South African Milk tart (melktert)
This classic baked Traditional South African milk tart recipe with sweetened condensed milk is scented with vanilla and cinnamon and will have you coming back for more.
Equipment
- Food processor Substitute a pastry cutter or two knives instead
Ingredients
Shortcrust Pastry
- 125 grams cold butter approximately 1 stick or 1/2 cup
- 36 grams fine granulated sugar approximately 45 ml or 3 tablespoons
- 225 grams cake flour approximately 400 ml or 1 2/3 cups
- 1 egg large
- 30 ml cold water approximately 2 tablespoons
Milk Tart filling
- 65 grams butter approximately 1/2 stick or 1/4 cup
- 25 grams cake flour approximately 45 ml or 3 tablespoons
- 198 grams sweetened full cream condensed milk approximately 1/2 large tin
- 500 ml milk approximately 2 cups
- 3 large eggs, separated
- 1.25 ml salt approximately 1/4 teaspoon
- 5 ml vanilla extract approximately 1 teaspoon
- 2.5 ml cinnamon powder approximately 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for dusting before serving
Instructions
Shortcrust Pastry base
- For the pastry, pulse the butter, flour and sugar in a food processor until it has the consistency of breadcrumbs. Alternately, rub in the cold butter with two knives or a pastry cutter. Try not to use your hands as it will warm up the butter.
- Add the egg and water and mix until just combined.
- Bring the pastry into a ball and flatten into a disk on a piece of cling wrap. This makes it easier to roll into a round shape later.
- Chill and rest the pastry for about 30 minutes before use.
- Roll out the pastry and line a 25 cm tart pan ensuring that the pastry overlaps the sides a bit as it may shrink during baking if not rested enough. I chilled it again for another 10 minutes before baking.
- Switch on the oven and heat to 200 degrees celcius / 400 F / Gas mark 6.
- Prick the base and line with parchment paper and baking beans or beans, and bake blind for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the baking beans and bake for another five minutes. Be careful not to get a burn as you may drop the beans and damage the tart case.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 170 degrees celcius / 350 F / Gas mark 4.
Milk Tart filling
- Cook the filling while the pastry base is baking in the oven.
- In a medium size bowl mix the butter and flour ensuring there are no lumps. Add in the condensed milk, vanilla and the egg yolks and mix until smooth.
- Heat the milk until it reaches boiling point stirring occasionally with a flat edged wooden spoon to prevent it catching and burning on the bottom of the pot.
- Add a little of the boiled milk to the egg mixture ensuring that you whisk out all the lumps. Slowly add the rest of the milk while whisking or stirring and then return to the pot and place back on the heat.
- Stir the milk mixture on the heat until it thickens and it starts to bubble.
- Remove the pot from the stove and let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes.
- Whisk the egg whites and salt until they are glossy but not too stiff. It should be soft peaks at this stage, not the 'tip it over your head and it doesn't drop' stiffness.
- Fold the egg whites into the cooled custard mixture.
- Pour into the pastry case and bake for 15-20 minutes until it is set. Do not over bake as it will rise and sink like an overdone souffle.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon powder and serve.
Notes
I use cake flour or fine sponge flour for the pastry as well as the filling. If you are using any other type of flour the consistency may differ.
1 cup of All purpose flour is supposed to be equivalent to 1 1/4 cups of cake flour.Â
Nutrition
Calories: 301kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 7gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 213mgPotassium: 155mgFiber: 0gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 585IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 111mgIron: 0.5mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional information for the recipe is an approximation and varies according to the ingredients and products used.
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