National Milk Tart Day

 Peppermint crisp milk tart

The milk tart or melktert, as it is called in Afrikaans, is a dessert loved by many South Africans

Traditionally described as a shortbread crust with a milky filling, this classic dish is said to have come from the Dutch in the 1600s.

From the light crumbly pastry base to the sweet smooth milk filling, it is the perfect treat. 

Ingredients for base

150g plain flour

75g unsalted butter

50g icing sugar

1 egg yolk, beaten

50g peppermint crisp, chilled

Method

Place the flour, unsalted butter, icing sugar, and peppermint crisp chocolate in a food processor and blend in a short burst until it resembles breadcrumbs. Tip into a bowl, add the beaten egg yolk, and mix to form a dough. If the dough looks too dry, add 1 tbsp water. Shape the dough into a ball, flatten it out into a disc, wrap it in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before using. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out evenly on a floured surface. Grease a flan pan with butter (or use Spray and Cook) and dust lightly with flour. Gently place the rolled-out dough into the pan and neatly shape it into the corners.

Use a fork to poke holes in the base of the base. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes. Once rested, remove from the fridge and place the greaseproof paper in the tart shell and cover with baking beans (or you can use uncooked rice). Bake for 10 minutes, remove greaseproof paper and baking beans, and bake for a further 5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn off the oven and leave the base in the oven for 10-15 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make the filling.

For the filling

500ml fresh milk

28g butter

20g flour

25g corn-starch

100g white sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

For the topping

50g peppermint crisp, chilled

1 tsp ground cinnamon (or more if preferred)

Method

Place a saucepan over medium heat and add the milk and butter and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. In another bowl, mix the flour, corn-starch, sugar, and vanilla essence and whisk in eggs until smooth. Gently whisk the mixture into the saucepan making sure there are no lumps. Return the saucepan to the stove and keep stirring constantly until it starts to bubble. Cook for about 5-6 minutes. Pass through a strainer to get a smooth texture.

To assemble the topping, pour the still-warm custard into the baked pastry shell ensuring that it spreads evenly. Allow to set and cool completely. In a bowl finely grate the peppermint Crisp and mix with the ground cinnamon and then sprinkle over the top of the tart. Use a stencil to make it look even more fabulous!

https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/food-drink/recipes/3-must-try-recipes-for-national-milk-tart-day-2793adf3-4d20-490e-928a-e4349b71df91