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Traditional Baked Milk Tart (Melktert) Recipe
Irene MullerIrene Muller

Baked Traditional Milk Tart (Melktert)

5 from 1 vote
Eating this sweet cinnamon spiced dessert known as milk tart, from South Africa is similar to falling in love, because it happens so quickly!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 8
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Crust:
  • 200 g butter
  • 450 ml cake flour
  • 5 ml salt
  • 10 ml baking powder
  • Ice cold water
For the Filling:
  • 1 litre milk
  • 125 g butter
  • 2-4 pods cinnamon
  • ¾ cup cornflour (maizena)
  • ½ cup cake flour
  • 5 ml salt
  • 1 cup sugar (use less if you do not want it sweet)
  • 5 ml almond essence
  • 6 large eggs (separate egg yolks from egg whites)

Method
 

For the Crust:
  1. Place all the dry ingredients for the crust in a bowl.
  2. Grate the cold butter into the dry ingredients, with your finger’s, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles crumbs.
  3. Add a little cold water and work with your one hand the mixture until it forms a ball.  Add more water if necessary. When it is ready, the dough will be barely moistened and come together into a ball. If necessary, add more cold water.
  4. Place the ball on a floured surface and roll out the dough large enough to cover an oven dish square or round, (large enough to add about 1 1/2 litre of filling) of about + - 28cm or on the bottom a large flat oven pan.
  5. Using butter or non-stick spray, prepare your oven dish, making sure it has been adequately sprayed or buttered. Set aside.
  6. Roll out the dough on the prepared working surface and be very gentle when pressing the dough onto a dish Set aside. Place in fridge until needed. 
For the Filling:
  1. Preheat oven to 180° Celsius is equal to 356° Fahrenheit and place rack in center of the oven.
  2. Place saucepan over medium heat, add butter, cinnamon, and milk, bring to a boil, remove from the heat.
  3. In another bowl, mix flour, cornflour, sugar, almond extract, and a little warm milk. Whisk in egg yolks until smooth. Gently whisk into the saucepan making sure there are no lumps.
  4. Now return the pan back to the stove, keep stirring constantly until it starts to bubble and is a lovely thick consistency.
  5. Beat the egg whites until stiff.
  6. Remove the filling from heat, fold in the egg whites and pour the mixture into the unbaked pastry shell.
  7. Place in preheated oven until light brown. About 30 minutes.
  8. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  9. When cooled, place in the fridge for 2 hours. Serve hot or cold.