Melktert (Milk Tart)

Ingredients for Pastry Base:
1 Cup Flour
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/3 Teaspoon Cream of Tartar
Pinch Salt
1/3 Teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda
1 Teaspoon Milk
75g Butter

Ingredients for Pastry Filling:
1 Cup Milk
1 Egg
½ Cup Maizena (Corn Starch)
1 Teaspoon Flour
2 Teaspoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Butter
Pinch Salt
Cinnamon
2 Drops Almond Essence

Method for Pastry Base

1. Crumb butter into the flour, sugar, salt and cream of tartar.
2. Beat the egg and add to the crumbed mixture.
3. Mix bicarbonate soda in milk and add to crumbed mixture to make the pastry.
4. Allow to cool in refrigerator for 2 hours.
5. Press pastry into medium size pie dish.
6. Bake at 160°C for 40 minutes or until light brown.
7. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Method for Pastry Filling

1. Put milk and butter into a saucepan to boil.
2. Mix flour, maizena, almond essence and sugar together in a bowl.
3. Add egg yoke to this mix until consistency of a smooth paste.
4. Add some boiling milk to paste and stir.
5. Add paste into saucepan and stir until thick.
6. Take off stove and add stiffly beaten egg white.
7. Fill cooled pastry base with thickened paste and sprinkle with cinnamon.

The Melktert is a South African legendary milk tart. A lipsmacking recipe which is a real winner. This traditional tart is very easy to prepare.