Milk tart is is truly a beloved dessert in South Africa and beyond! You will love this lip-smackingly delicious and creamy baked milk tart which can be served at just about any occasion.
The sweet flaky pastry crust is filled with a custard gently flavoured with almond extract, vanilla and topped with a generous dusting of cinnamon. Milk tart is a bit reminiscent of custard pie but with a lighter texture and stronger milk flavour.
This milk tart recipe call for the custard to be baked.
It is made with a sweet pastry crust often referred to as Pate sablée, the good thing about this pastry is that you do not have to worry about rolling it out – all you do is press the crust into the pie pan – freeze for 30 minutes and then bake without weight. Freezing prevents the pie from rising.
- You can make the crust ahead of time, bake and leave out until ready to be use.
- Use store bought pastry pie if you are pressed on time
All the ingredients for this milk tart are right in your pantry – no extra shopping needed and it is all made from scratch.
Baked Milk Tart
Ingredients
Puff pastry
- 250 g butter, grated and cold
- 250 g flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 150 ml iced water
- 10 ml lemon juice
- egg white whisked For brushing the puff pastry before refrigerating
Crust
- 125 g butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
Filling
- 1 lt milk
- 6 eggs
- 4 tbsp butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 8 tbsp Cornflour (Mezina)
- 8 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp almond essence
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
Puff Pastry
- Sift flour into a large bowl with salt, then grate in the butter and rub in quickly – you should still be able to see butter chunks.
- Make a well in the center, and then add the liquid ingredients (except for the egg white and combine carefully roll out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 20cm x 50cm.
- Fold a third of the pastry to the center, and then fold the other side over the first third then give the dough a quarter turn and roll out again, repeat twice, and allow to chill.
- Roll the pastry out to 5mm thickness then line your bowl with the pastry, dock the bottom and then brush with egg white.
- Place in the fridge until the oven is ready. Blind bake in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes at 200° C / 392° F Remove from oven and set aside.
Crust
- Cream butter and sugar then add the oil and the egg.
- Add the vanilla essence, finish off by adding the sifted flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Work with your fingers until it forms a softball.
- Press in the prepared pie dish of your choice, place it in the fridge until the filling has cooled off and the oven is ready.
- Bake in the crust at 200° C / 400° F for 20 to 25 minutes, the filling will double in volume while baking, and don't worry, it will settle as it cools down.
- For an UNBAKED CRUST, bake in the crust for 20 to 25 minutes at 204°-230° C / 400°-450° F, the filling will double in volume while baking and don't worry, it will settle as it cools down.
Filling
- Bring the milk to a boil then add butter, add flour and cornflour in a bowl, add a little of the milk to form a thin paste .
- Separate the egg yolk from the whites and mix the egg yolk and sugar, then add to milk.
- Whisk egg whites not too stiff, then fold into the milk mixture.
- Add in the almond essence and mix carefully, when cooled off a little, pour in the baked pastry or unbaked crust, smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
To serve
- When cooled, sprinkle with cinnamon (cinnamon sugar optional).
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