South African Milk Tart (Melktert)

A round pie with a decorative flower pattern on top has a slice removed. It sits on a white plate, accompanied by a gold fork. Nearby are flowers and various tableware on a marble surface.

South African Milk Tart (Melktert)

Susannah Brinkley Henry

This traditional South African dessert is creamy and delicate. Make it for holidays and special occasions like dinner parties, Christmas and Easter, or enjoy it for dessert or at teatime any day of the week!

Course Dessert

Cuisine South African

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 30

Set Time 2

Total Time 3 15

Servings servings

Calories 499kcal

Author Susannah Brinkley Henry

Ingredients

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

12 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
pinch salt
¼ teaspoon almond extract

Milk Tart Filling

½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pinch salt
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups milk whole
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Sweet Shortcrust Pastry

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9.5-inch pie dish and set aside.
Cream the butter until pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Beat in the egg and almond extract until smooth, about 2 minutes. (A few lumps are okay.)
Stir in the flour and salt. Knead until a soft dough has formed. Chill for 10 minutes.
Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and layer it into a greased pie dish. (Alternatively, you can press the dough into the pie dish. Use the back of a spoon to even it out.)
Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake blind for 15 minutes. Remove parchment and pie weights. Allow crust to cool completely on a wire rack.

Milk Tart Filling

In a heat proof bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, salt, eggs and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk and butter together, stirring until the butter is melted. Do not boil.
Add about a fourth of the milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to incorporate it evenly without cooking the eggs.
Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the hot milk. Return to heat and stir constantly with a spatula until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Again, do not boil.
Pour the filling into the pie crust and let cool completely. Refrigerate 2-3 hours or until ready to serve. Sprinkle with cinnamon before serving.
Store the tart in the refrigerator and enjoy within 2-3 days.

Notes

Measurements: I used U.S. customary measurements for this recipe. However, you can change the recipe to Metric measurements by clicking the buttons under the ingredients.

Corn starch notes: Make sure you are using corn starch. If you're in the U.S., use Argo brand corn starch. If you're in South Africa, use Maizena. Do not use organic or tapioca starch (or any other kind of starch) or your milk tart may not set properly.

Cooking tip: When making the filling, make sure to keep the pan over medium heat. You don’t want to let the filling boil! (However, a reader commented that hers boiled, and she still had success.)

Decorating with cinnamon: One of my favorite tips for presentation is placing a paper or cloth doily over the top of the milk tart before sprinkling on the cinnamon topping.

Nutrition

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