Melktert
South Africa's milk tart: a thin pastry shell holding a delicate milk-and-egg custard set firm enough to slice, dusted heavily with cinnamon.
Overview
A sweet shortcrust pastry rolls thin and lines a 24 cm tart tin; blind-bakes briefly to set the base. Milk warms with butter and a cinnamon stick; sugar dissolves; cornflour and flour whisk in to form a thin custard; eggs temper in off the heat. The custard pours into the warm shell; bakes briefly until just set; cools to room temperature; gets a heavy dusting of cinnamon before serving. Sometimes served chilled.
Ingredients
Pastry
- 200 g plain flour
- 100 g cold unsalted butter (cubed)
- 50 g caster sugar
- 1 egg yolk (large)
- A pinch of salt
- 1-2 tablespoons cold water
Custard
- 700 ml whole milk
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 100 g caster sugar
- 30 g cornflour
- 30 g plain flour
- 3 eggs (large, lightly beaten)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
Topping
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar (optional, mixed with cinnamon)
Method
Stage 1 - Pastry
- Rub the butter into the flour, sugar and salt until breadcrumb texture.
- Mix in the egg yolk and just enough cold water for the dough to come together.
- Wrap and chill 30 minutes.
Stage 2 - Blind bake
- Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
- Roll the pastry to 3 mm; line a 24 cm fluted tart tin (with removable base); trim with overhang.
- Prick the base with a fork; chill 15 minutes.
- Line with parchment and baking beans; bake 15 minutes.
- Remove parchment and beans; bake 5 minutes more until pale gold.
- Set aside (keep the oven on).
Stage 3 - Infuse the milk
- Heat the milk, butter and cinnamon stick in a saucepan to just below boiling.
- Off the heat, rest 10 minutes.
- Discard the cinnamon stick.
Stage 4 - Custard
- Whisk the sugar, cornflour, flour and salt in a bowl.
- Whisk in 200 ml of the warm milk to a smooth slurry.
- Pour the slurry slowly back into the saucepan with the rest of the milk, whisking constantly.
- Cook over medium heat 4-5 minutes, whisking, until thickened to a thin custard.
Stage 5 - Temper the eggs
- Off the heat, slowly pour the hot custard over the beaten eggs while whisking continuously (this prevents scrambling).
- Return the mixture to the pan over the lowest heat; cook 1 more minute, whisking.
- Off the heat, stir in the vanilla.
Stage 6 - Bake
- Pour the custard into the warm pastry shell.
- Bake 18-22 minutes until just set with a faint wobble in the centre - don't overbake or the surface cracks.
Stage 7 - Cool and dust
- Cool to room temperature (the custard firms as it cools).
- Just before serving, dust generously with cinnamon (or cinnamon-sugar mix) using a fine sieve.
Stage 8 - Serve
- Cut wedges; serve at room temperature or lightly chilled.
- Eats well with a cup of strong rooibos tea.
Notes
- Set, not firm: Melktert custard should be sliceable but still wobble. Cooking it like a heavy egg custard ruins it.
- Cinnamon at the table: A heavy dust just before serving is correct - it's part of the flavour, not just decoration. Don't bake it on (it bitters).
- Rooibos pairing: Slightly oxidised rooibos is the South African choice; English breakfast tea also works.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days refrigerated; the cinnamon may sink slightly. Re-dust before serving each time if needed.
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