Milktart, or Melktert, as it is better known, is the quintessential South African dessert. It is served at most afternoon teas, kids birthdays or just for coffee at home. It is s ingrained in our culture that we have National Milk Tart Day, ion the 27th February every year.
Growing up, I would visit my grandmother and great-grandmother, fondly known as Ouma, most Friday's for afternoon tea. We would always have strong Rooibos tea with honey and milk, and melktert or crunchies (a type of oat cookie). We would sit and page through Huisgenoot (an Afrikaans magazine) and talk about the celebrities and silly articles the mag published. Sometimes we would watch Noot vir Noot (a terrible kind of sing-along TV show) and laugh at the presenter's bad hair.
These are the memories that come to mind when I think of melktert. Fond, vivid memories that will always sit right in the most tender part of my heart. I will always remember my Ouma sitting in her favourite chair, drinking out of her old brown stoneware mug.
Milk tart is a sort of custard tart, set in a sweet pastry shell. It has a wonderfully aromatic vanilla and cinnamon scent, and when it is cooking, the entire house smells divine.
It speaks so much of the era it was developed in - the 50's - simple ingredients, like milk, butter and flour, to create a comforting and homely dish. Nothing fancy, people didn't have the fanjangled ingredients we have today. I can just hear my Nan grumbling something about fanjangled fancy equipment.
Milk tart was introduced to our culture by the Dutch settlers, who were predominantly dairy farmers. It is thought to originate from the recipe Mattentaart which was published in Thomas Van der Noort's book, “Een notabel boexcken van cokeryen” or A Notable Book on Cookery. So you can see, our heritage is very multicultural here in SA.
The recipe itself is very simple, and it does not take much or long to make.
INGREDIENTS
Shortcrust Pastry:
- 125g butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 t baking powder
- Sprinkle of salt
Filling:
- 4 ½ cups full cream milk
- 2 ½ t cornflour
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs
- Sprinkle of salt
- 2 ½ T cake flour
- 1 t vanilla essence
- 20g butter
METHOD:
To make the pastry:
Preheat the oven to 180'C. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat vigourously.
Add the flour, baking powder and mix to create a stiff dough.
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The recipe is enough for two shallow pies, or one large. Press the dough into a buttered pie dish and bake at 180°C until golden.
To make the filling:
In a large saucepan, bring the milk to a boil. While the milk is boiling, in a large bowl, beat the eggs until they are stiff. Add the white sugar, cake flour, cornflour and salt. Stir very well.
Carefully, pour the hot milk into the flour mixture and incorporate properly. Turn the heat down. Next, put the saucepan back on the hob, and stir slowly until mixture thickens. You want to be careful here, and not let the mixture heat up too quickly, and also take care to stir often with a whisk, preventing any lumps.
Once thickened, remove from the stove, and stir in the butter and vanilla essence. Let cool on the counter top until cool, and then transfer to your fridge.
Once cooled, sprinkle some cinnamon for decorative detail.
I hope you have enjoyed this recipe. It is super easy to make, and I encourage to go ahead and do just that! I'd love for you to taste some of my heritage!
Thanks for reading x
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I will make some times this coming week and see how can I follow one of those recipe, just for fun because they look great
This is probably the best food post I have ever read on Steemit. The way describe your childhood experience and other small things that stick to you as childhood memori, it created a picture of Milktart in my mind.
The story brought out the aspect of food that is rather overlooked in food and recipe blogs. The food is not just food when its a part of you memory. It becomes a little piece of yourself that you would remember every time you'd taste that food.
The story gave me a taste of the milktart much before I reached the recipe. Great stuff!
thank you so much, that is really nice of you to say. Besides being delicious, the process of making the food with your loved ones, or eating it around the table is what makes it important
For sure! The whole experience counts- the food, the ambiance, family, home. It all adds up to make one happy memory that would last a lifetime
As always, your recipes look delicious and cause a feeling of hunger. This time I liked the fact that all the ingredients to find at my fingertips. Therefore, I have the opportunity to rub this recipe at home. I perceive your recipes as a guarantee of quality.
This recipe I will make in the near future! Another recipe in your book of recipes steemit. Thank you, I liked it
awesome! I hope you do make it x
Ummmmm...i can smell the cinnamon mixed with butter wsrming up in a hot pan... Looks quite delicious sweet cake for kids made in home. Easy to bake...good to eat .... Milktart is quick made recepie for home .....feeling like tasting it...👍@adsactly
Now that you say it, I had to go back to the post and I can relate to the cinnamon smell. The simple joys of life.
I like it....i do carry it all the time....a good for mouth too....
As always, your recipes look delicious and cause a feeling of hunger. This time I liked the fact that all the ingredients to find at my fingertips. Therefore, I have the opportunity to rub this recipe at home. I perceive your recipes as a guarantee of quality.
This recipe I will make in the near future! Another recipe in your book of recipes steemit. Thank you, I liked it
Can we just appreciate how unique @princessmewmew 's food posts are. So elaborate and visual.
If I had this milktart my afternoon teas would never be the same. Looks delicious.
Quick one, (might be a stupid question) but how did you make that seamless gif?
ah thanks beautiful lady!
I make the gifs on my iphone. I think all the iPhones since the 6 Plus have "Live" photos. I make sure the live feature is on when I snap photos, then change the "live" to "loop", and then it becomes a gif. Then I email it to myself, and download to use in my posts.
I have the iPhone 8 Plus, and the camera is sooo good, that I delayed buying a proper camera. also, I have a mac, so it is so incredibly easy to use in conjunction with the phone
Thanks for your lovely comment and support x
That looks super delicious!
Oh yes, melktert is one of my favorite tea dishes and it never fails to please the guests. Being South African I really enjoyed reading about your memories. Noot vir Noot was my favorite evening show.
hahaha, oh gosh, what was that presenter's name? I can just remember his big hair and pastel blue blazers. teehee!
Johan Stemmet if I remember correctly.
Per normal it is presented beautifully and and looks sooooo tasty.
Thanks for sharing this. Ultimate comfort food?
thanks my guy. It is such a comfort food. Milktart with hot earl grey tea... Happy Mew Mew
I’m so amazed that the milk filling sets like that! I never would have guessed that from reading the ingredients. It’s giving me all sorts of ideas for other things I could use the filling for (because I have a fear of making my own pastries)! Pinning, thanks for sharing this!!
I am following u please follow me back
yes, it sets because of the cornflour. And yes, the crust is not necessary, so you can do anything like this, any flavouring
I'm half African and never had that.
Should I be half ashamed now?
haha, of course not! I'm sure you have some other amazing family recipes x
I suppose you're right.
My father made a stellar sauerkraut pizza once. It was amazing in every sense of the word in that it tasted so hilariously bad that everything else ended up being a real treat in comparison. Makes you develop a deep appreciation for all kinds of foods and flavors.
Does that count?
While I am not kidding, my mother and other members of my family actually were decent cooks. Sadly, that never really rubbed off on me or my father.
hahaha that is hilarious. Similar to my husband having to eat my experiments!
Well, as long as you make it up to him by letting him eat South African milktarts it's cool.
You made me hungry @adsactly, just in time, just finish posting my article and its time to eat. Wait I'll check if I have something to eat.
OK, it is time for me to try a milk tart! They look so good! I am so thankful that I get to learn about so many new foods from the Cook with Us community. Thanks for sharing this recipe @adsactly!
yes! you should def make it!
I have always loved these recipes with history, as a chef I would love to replicate them but having no taste in my head is hard to imagine.
the dough is a simple Brie dough, maybe I dare to make it, it looks spectacular.
By the way, can you make an infusion with milk to perfume the pastry cream?
you can, absolutely! I have out the whole vanilla pods in to add a delicious vanilla flavour
Great minds think alike! Your milk tart looks delish! Genius using a deep casserole (great way to fit in more custard, mine always starts threatening to run over the edges of the tart pan!)
haha! yes, i actually always make two tarts, but thought to do this in order to save time x
and when I was looking for inspiration I saw this! Look how beautiful x
So many Dutch words in this! Huisgenoot, melk, noot, haha! I now want to make this melktert for sure! It sounds delicious! Good to connect food to memories <3
yes! I bet we would understand each other if you spoke Dutch to me. The cinnamon in the tart is definitely Dutch x..
oh my my I love a good tart!! :) I will have to try this, it looks amazing!! :) Thank you so much for sharing!
oh thank you, I really hope you do. Let me know how it goes for you x
Will do! :)
Thanks for the recipe I will certainly try this soon! To take a taste of South Africa in my home, it looks really good,
pleasure! please do let me know if you make it :)
Sweet Africa! This looks overly delicious ♥️
yessir! it is (was!)
💟
Very informative and well written post, good thing you give us glimpse of foods from the other part of the world. It looks to tasty, soft, moist and sweet. Can't wait to make something like this soon
thanks os much! are you by any chance from india? the milk tart has similarities to the chai tea that is made in india :)
The most important thing in the life of a human being is sharing as a family.
Take a tea or eat a delicacy of those that makes the grandmother or mom at home taste more delicious if we are together.
A table full of family and friends in a pleasant meeting where we can see each other in the face, tasting a tea or a simple glass of water, are the best gifts we can thank.
Life is short, there is a lot of commitment to work, social gatherings, but there should always be a space to dedicate it to family and friends.
There is always something to tell, good or bad things, we need advice, to know about the tasks of the children, the experience lived at work, my health, the anecdotes.
That's why I admire all human beings who value sharing among all who love each other.
When you die, and did not get to enjoy the best of life, you regret, nothing but there is nothing to do.
Celebrate life, enjoy tea as a family.
And remember to copy the amilia recipes to follow the tradition
you are absolutely correct! food is sad when you are alone!
Surely will love to have it , as it's completely new recipe for me.
I also do write food blogs. Your post gave me so many clues @princessmewmew
Thanks for sharing @adsactly
That's a great recipe.i like this food.
Travel is very beautiful.i appreciate this travel.
I value your content sir @adsactly
Thanks for sharing valuable content.i follow your Every content.
All the best ...
Upvote and resteemit this content.
looking tasty and easy to make i will try it once
it is very easy! let me know if you do make it xxx
yeah sure
I’m starting to think that I’ll need to add milk tart in my list of #myturn. It seems that milk tart is a great part of the South African culture. Maybe one of you can provide us with some background and or history around its origin and how it has developed over time. Your recipe looks great and you should be proud about pulling your own version of it.
This is delicious food, i like this recipe.
Thanks a lot for this post sharing......
Upvote and resteemit done.
thank you very much!
Most welcome, have a nice day.
Looks a lot like custard which I love. I would love to try this, I am a sucker for sweet deserts.
yes, it is basically a flavoured custard. I'm sure you will enjoy this, it's hard not to!
Mmmm🤤
Omg!!! Am craving to get a bite from this,
haha, it is sooo delicious x
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I like very much food this
thank you so much
Your are welcome @princessmew
I want!
I like this dessert, your method is genial, thanks for the recipe. greetings
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This MilkTart looks amazing and the presentation is so well done. Keep up the good work!
thank you Jennifer! I am glad you enjoyed it x
para compartir en familia muy bueno
very delicius
It is perceived a smooth structure that must be an elixir for the palate. I love workshops that try to make their publication good.