This one comes to you from my mum, Tess Ackerman. We came to Australia from South Africa in 1973.
Tess on Table Mountain, Cape Town.
Milk Tart or “Melktert” in Afrikaans, is a popular dessert in South Africa. The dutch origins of this recipe can be traced back to the sixteenth century.
This was a “special occasion” dessert when we were growing up. It holds a lot of memories of the Ackerman family. The tradition carries on as my mum makes this for my kids – her grandchildren – they love it! When I think of something South African that we ate growing up, this is always the first dish that comes to mind. It’s very simple to make and super delicious.
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered,” Nelson Mandela
South African Milk Tart
Serves 8
Ingredients
600ml milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons plain flour
1 Tablespoon corn flour
1/4 Teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons Butter
3 eggs (separated)
2 x Cinnamon sticks
1 x sheet of Puff Pastry
What do I do now?
Boil the milk with the Cinnamon sticks.
Mix the dry ingredients in another saucepan. Once the milk has boiled add it slowly to the dry ingredients and mix. Boil until the mixture turns thick. Continue to stir for a few minutes on a low heat until the mix is nice and thick. Add melted butter. Cool completely and then add egg yolks only. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff. Fold into the rest of the mixture. Line your baking dish with pastry and pour the mix into the base.
Bake at 200 degrees C for 10 minutes only and then reduce the heat to 180 degrees C – bake for another 10 minutes until golden.
Top with cinnamon and sugar! And cream as per the below if you are my mum!
Anything else I should know?
This is so delicious – it’s kind of like a giant custard tart but nicer.
The trick is in the mixing – if you get this wrong you will end up with a lumpy mix (which will still taste good but not look as nice…)
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