Melktert / Milk Tart

The taste of this milky, cinnamon flavoured custard tart is to me pure nostalgia!  A true South African (and family) favourite - the ultimate South African taste-like-home comfort food.

Use whatever crust you like (or have time for). An old school flaky puff pastry case works well when baked in enamelware. Shortcrust pastry, a biscuit base (200g finely crushed, plain, sweet biscuits + 50g melted butter) or simply the milk tart custard layered with biscuit crumbs (200g crushed, plain, sweet biscuits + 30g melted butter) works a treat too. I have included an easy dough crust recipe below.

Enough for one 23cm round tart (serves 10 - 12)

CRUST

plain/cake/all-purpose flour, 150g (250ml or 1 cup)

caster sugar, 20g (20ml or 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon)

fine salt, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)

unsalted butter, 75g - cold out of the fridge

cold water, 60ml (1/4 cup)

CUSTARD FILLING

full fat (full cream) milk, 1 litre

unsalted butter, 30g

cinnamon stick, 1

vanilla pod, 1/2 pod (or 15ml/1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste)

sugar, 200g (250ml or 1 cup)

eggs, 3

plain/cake/all-purpose flour, 20g (30ml or 2 tablespoons)

cornflour, 50g (80ml or 1/3 cup)

fine salt, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)

To make the dough for the crust, weigh the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl (or food processor bowl fitted with a blade attachment). 

Add the cold butter (roughly chop or grate with a microplane or box grater) and rub in with your fingertips (or pulse in the food processor) until uniform and the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. 

Add the water and combine briefly to form a uniform dough.

Form the dough into a disc, wrap and refrigerate for about 20min.

Remove the rested dough from the fridge and gently roll it out onto a well-floured work surface (to about 2mm thickness).

Once the dough is rolled out large enough to line your baking dish/tin, leave it to rest on the work surface for approximately 5 minutes.

Roll up the dough using a rolling pin and drape it over the tin. 

Gently line the tin with the dough taking care not to stretch it too much.  Cut the edges by pressing with the rolling pin over the tart tin.

Prick the base with a fork and refrigerate for approximately 10 minutes until the dough is firm.

To blind bake the dough/pastry, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).

Remove the tin from the fridge and line with a crumpled sheet of baking paper (I wet mine to soften it, then dry it again with a kitchen towel to prevent it from sticking to the dough).

Fill with baking beans or rice and bake until the edges are golden (approximately 15 - 20 minutes). 

Carefully remove the baking paper together with the baking beans/rice and return to the oven until the bottom is a light golden colour too.

Prepare the custard by pouring the milk into a large saucepan.

Add the butter, cinnamon stick and scraped out seeds and empty vanilla pod (or vanilla bean paste).

Place over a medium heat to infuse.

Place the sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk until pale.

Add the flour, cornflour and salt and whisk well until smooth.

Slowly add the warmed milk mixture to the sugar and egg mixture stirring continuously until the saucepan is empty.

Place a large sieve over the emptied saucepan and pour the milky egg mixture back through the sieve to discard the vanilla pod and cinnamon stick.

Stir the mixture continuously over a medium to high heat until the custard comes to a boil.

Pour the cooked custard into the pasty case and return to the oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the tart to cool in the tin.

Serve warm out of the oven or cold the next day (store in the fridge).

Before serving, sprinkle the top of the tart liberally with ground cinnamon or cinnamon sugar.