Melktert - a South African classic

[Rogizoja]

This is my version of a classic South African tart, which has many variations and jealously guarded recipes. It is usually a baked tart with a baked pastry case (short/puff/sable) but my version uses a biscuit base and Thermomix’s cooking capabilities to avoid using the oven; quicker and easier to make and a bit more economical too.

Ingredients

Biscuit base
200 gm Digestive biscuits (or similar – e.g. Tennis biscuits are great)
80 gm butter (or margarine)
20 gm light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Filling
750 ml milk
100 gm sugar
20 gm corn flour
20 gm plain flour
10 gm custard powder
20 gm butter
4 eggs
Ground cinnamon

Method

1. For the base, add the butter and nutmeg to the bowl and heat about 1 minutes/50°C/speed 2.

2. Add the biscuits roughly broken and crush on Turbo in 2 second bursts until fine.

3. Tip into a 24 to 28 cm loose-bottomed spring form cake tin and press down firmly to form the crust. Chill in the fridge.

4. For the filling, add all of the ingredients (except the cinnamon) and cook for 12 minutes/90°C/speed 4.

5. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes then pour into the prepared tin and smooth. Dust liberally with ground cinnamon and cool completely before turning out.

6. To make a lighter/fluffier version, separate two of the eggs, whip the whites to soft peaks and then fold thoroughly through the cooked mixture before pouring into the prepared tin.

ENJOY  

Members' comments

snappy - I used 150g of sugar and found that the tart was still not very sweet, I noticed a lot of recipes on the internet use 200g of sugar and I would probably up to this next time - but I do like my desserts sweet!  Secondly, as rozygoya pointed out, a lot of recipes call for baking this tart - seeing as I was cooking a roast and had the oven on I thought I would try baking it.  At the end of rozygoya's instructions, I baked it for 20 mins at 150 c.

It was a lovely tart, very, very similar to a custard tart that we get in Australia.  DH was actually convinced that it is a custard tart and not a SA traditional dessert!  He went back for thirds anyway, so it was a definite winner.  I will say that baking it did make the tart hold it shape when it cut, it really was like cutting a traditional custard tart.

My research on the internet indicated that if you whip the egg whites separately and then fold through and bake, you will end up with a slightly more cheesecake style texture, whereas all in like this recipe is more custard tart type texture.

Beautiful recipe and will be baking again.  So easy and quick to make.

Augusta - I recently made this tart from a recipe on the recipe community, it was made with a tin of condensed milk added and tasted delicious. It was made with the biscuit base and set like a custard tart. I used Arnotts Scots biscuits. My DH gave it a 10/10.

[judydawn]

We would call this a custard tart Rogizoja, is that what you call it too? 

[goldfish]

Thank you for this!! I have some South African friends who have spoken of this - would love to make it for them!!  

[Rogizoja]

Yes JD, it is essentially a custard tart (literal translation from Afrikaans is "Milk Tart"). However I believe the characteristics that make is quite special in the classic recipe is that some/all of the egg whites are whipped and folded in before baking in the oven giving a very light texture and the liberal dusting of cinnamon on the finished tart. Whatever name it goes by, it's still delicious 

Hope your SA pals enjoy it Goldfish; but be prepared for "tasty, but no-one could beat my Mom's/Ouma's recipe".

[jeninwa]

Yumo love this tart my SA friend makes this and quite often brings  a piece or two for me.
Might have to surprise here and make here one.

[Kimmyh]

Sounds yummy.

[trudy]

Thank you for the milk tart recipe Rogizoja.  I have tasted this tart both in Cape Town and Duban and although similar to what we call here a  custard tart, it is quite different.  Will try it using the biscuit base.  Thankyou, brings back nice memories!!!

[cookie1]

I love custard tart so if this is nicer I will be in for a treat. Yum

[judydawn]

I thought 'milk tart' rang a bell.  There is a recipe in A Taste of Vegetarian for it which Chelsea reviewed here. It sounds as if this biscuit base is far better than the one in the book.

[Frozzie]

Dh quite likes custard tarts so will give this one a go thx 😁

[snappy]

We have a SA for dinner next week so thought I would test out this tart tonight.

I used 150g of sugar and found that the tart was still not very sweet, I noticed a lot of recipes on the internet use 200g of sugar and I would probably up to this next time - but I do like my desserts sweet!  Secondly, as rozygoya pointed out, a lot of recipes call for baking this tart - seeing as I was cooking a roast and had the oven on I thought I would try baking it.  At the end of rozygoya's instructions, I baked it for 20 mins at 150 c.

It was a lovely tart, very, very similar to a custard tart that we get in Australia.  DH was actually convinced that it is a custard tart and not a SA traditional dessert!  He went back for thirds anyway, so it was a definite winner.  I will say that baking it did make the tart hold it shape when it cut, it really was like cutting a traditional custard tart.

My research on the internet indicated that if you whip the egg whites separately and then fold through and bake, you will end up with a slightly more cheesecake style texture, whereas all in like this recipe is more custard tart type texture.

Beautiful recipe and will be baking again.  So easy and quick to make

[Augusta]

I recently made this tart from a recipe on the recipe community, it was made with a tin of condensed milk added and tasted delicious. It was made with the biscuit base and set like a custard tart. I used Arnotts Scots biscuits. My DH gave it a 10/10.