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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 80 Minutes |
Ready In: 80 Minutes Servings: 30 |
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This custard pie with a sweet pastry crust is a South African favourite. The true, traditional milk tart is usually made with puff pastry and baked custard filling. I prefer this version, in which the sweet short-crust pastry is baked blind, filled with a cooked custard filling and served cold or at room temperature. Ingredients:
sweet shortcrust pastry |
125g butter |
100g caster sugar |
pinch of salt |
205g cake flour |
5ml ground mixed spice |
2 egg yolks |
30ml ice-cold water |
custard filling |
1.125 litres milk |
50g butter |
2-3 pieces stick cinnamon |
200g caster sugar |
40g cake flour |
35g corn flour |
pinch of salt |
3 eggs |
5ml vanilla essence |
ground cinnamon for sprinkling |
Directions:
1. Pastry
2. The pastry can be made by hand or in a food processor.
3. Cream together the Butter, Sugar and Salt and then rub or pulse in the Flour, Mixed Spice and Egg Yolks.
4. Add the Ice-Cold Water and process to form a firm dough, taking care not to overwork the pastry.
5. Roll the pastry into a large, fat sausage. Wrap snugly in cling film and rest in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
6. Grease a 30cm metal tart mould.
7. Slice the pastry into thin slivers approximately 3-5mm thick and line the tart mould. Simply press them together, level out and then tidy up the sides by pushing with your thumb. Alternative, roll out the pastry on a lightly-floured surface and transfer gently to the tart mould. Prick all over with a fork.
8. Freeze for at least an hour before baking.
9. Preheat the over to 200˚C. Bake the pastry shell direct from the freezer until crisp and golden - about 15 minutes.
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before filling.
11. The Custard Filling
12. Pour the milk into a large glass bowl suitable for microwave oven. Add the butter and stick cinnamon and bring to the boil.
13. Whisk together the castor sugar, Cake Flour, Corn Flour, Salt and 3 whole Eggs.
14. Pour this mixture gradually into the hot milk mixture while whisking continuously. I know this should be done the other way around, but I have fround that by whisking vigorously you can prevent clumps from forming.
15. Also, the secret is to have really hot milk to start off with so that the mixture starts to thinken almost immediately.
16. Microwave on high for 3 to 4 1 minute intervals. Whisk after each interval until the mixture is cooked.
17. Remove the stick cinnamon and add the vanilla essence. Mix well.
18. Pour the hot mixture into the pastry shell.
19. Sprinkle liberally with ground cinnamon and allow to cool completely before serving.
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