South African melktert is an extremely popular dessert. It is a milk tart that is not too sweet, creamy and delicious, it would make a lovely dessert for any occasion. It is also surprisingly easy to make and kids love it too!
Having a tart pan makes it super easy to make and serve, this is the one I like to use. The nice thing about this recipe is you likely have everything you need to make it on hand. Easy to pull together. You can even use a store bought pie pastry if you are pressed for time.
Did you know that South Africa is home to one of the most luxurious trains in the world? It is called the Rovos Rail and guaranteed you would find melktert on the menu. It is truly a beloved dessert throughout the country.
If you would like to learn more about more be sure to check out “Our Journey to South Africa”, there you will also find more authentic recipes like biltong, geelrys and bobotie .
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South African Melktert (milk tart)
A delicious and super easy creamy dessert recipe you will love to serve for just about any occasion.
Ingredients
Pastry Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 9 Tablespoons unsalted cold butter cut into small pieces
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tablespoon water
Milk Filling
- 2 1/4 cups milk
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- cinnamon for garnish
Instructions
Pastry Crust
- Grease a 9-inch pie pan with a removable bottom Set aside
- In a bowl add flour, salt and sugar, mix ingredients.
- Add in butter mix with a hand mixer.
- Add egg and water mix until a dough forms.
- Remove dough place on a work surface - knead just enough to incorporate all the dough. Working the dough as little as possible.
- Lightly press the dough on the prepared tart pan – working from the center up until the bottom and sides are fully covered with pastry.
- Place pie pan in the freezer and freeze for at least 30 minutes or more this helps prevent the dough from rising.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven
- Bake crust for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the crust is dry and golden browned. Set aside
Milk Filling
- Place saucepan over medium heat, add butter, cinnamon and milk -bring to a boil and remove from the heat.
- In another bowl, mix together flour, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla extract- whisk in eggs until smooth. Gently whisk into the saucepan making sure there are no lumps
- Now return the pan back on the stove – keep stirring constantly until in starts to bubble.
- Cook for about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat, remove the cinnamon stick and pour mixture into the baked pastry shell Sprinkle with cinnamon. Chill until ready to be served.
