Did you know that “Melktert”, Afrikaans for “milk tart”, is a South African dessert consisting of a sweet pastry crust containing a creamy filling made from milk, flour, sugar and eggs.
The ratio of milk to egg is higher than in a traditional Portuguese custard tart (Pastéis de nata) or Chinese egg tart (dan ta), in which both was influenced by the Portuguese, resulting in a lighter texture and a stronger milk flavour.
Celebrate national Milktart day with a decadent new Milktart twist:
“Who can resist fresh cream, infused with Castle Milk Stout, to create a dessert which is cool for the summer months and also not too heavy as an after-dinner treat.”
The caramel shard adds a hint of sweet and salty into the mix – right on trend according to Crease.
Crease calls her creation a ‘Stoutlicious Milk Tart’.
For those who would like to try it at home, here’s the recipe:
Serves: 4
Preparation: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the base:
2 tablespoons (30g butter)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg yolk
½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
For the filling:
½ cup full cream milk
½ tablespoon butter
1 egg separated
Cold water
2 tablespoons corn flour
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
Cinnamon
For the poached pears:
1 vanilla pod
225g brown sugar
1 cinnamon powder
2 pears peeled, cut into slivers
1 can Castle Milk Stout
For the caramel shard:
½ cup castor sugar
Baking sheet
Method
For the base:
Cream the butter and sugar
Add egg yolk and beat well
Add flour and baking powder and mix to form a soft dough
Press into 5cm muffin pans and prick well
Bake at 180 degrees until golden brown
For the filling:
Heat the milk and butter in a sauce pan on the stove
Place the egg yolk in a ¼ cup measure and fill with gold water, combine with the corn flour and stir till mixed
Add to the mixed mixture
Simmer until thick
Stir in the vanilla
Beat the egg white to make a meringue with the sugar
Fold into the thickened egg mixture
Pour into the pastry cases and dust with cinnamon sugar
For the poached pears:
1. Halve the vanilla pod lengthwise, scrape out the black seeds and put in a large saucepan with the Castle Milk Stout, sugar, cinnamon. Cut each piece of pod into three long thin strips, add to the pan, the lower in the pear slivers
2. Poach the pears covered, for 20-30 minutes, making sure they are covered in the wine, the cooking time will very much depend on the ripeness of your pears
3. You can make these up 2 days ahead and chill
4. Remove the pears from the pan, let chill and top each milk tart with a pear sliver, sprinkle with cinnamon and vanilla pod
For the caramel shard:
1. In a sauce pan melt the sugar over low heat until dissolve
2. Swirl onto baking sheet, brake into shards and top each milk tart with a shard
