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Modern Milk Tart Recipe

Milk tart is a South African tradition. With its smooth texture and warming notes of cinnamon, it is many a family's favourite. It's easy, pretty-much fool-proof and is make with pantry staples. Can't really get much easier. And, the time for tart and tea has come and gone, so please pour a glass of your favourite Leopard's Leap wine!  

Ingredients

Crust

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1 pinch fine salt

1⁄3 cup caster sugar

80g butter, softened

1 small egg

Filling

2 cups milk

1 cinnamon stick

100ml white sugar

2 eggs

3 tablespoons corn flour

3 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

2 tablespoons butter

Method

Crust

Measure the flour, baking powder and salt into a jug and whisk until combined. Cream butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until thoroughly incorporated. By hand add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Press the dough into a 25cm tart plate with a removable base. Make sure that it isn't too thick and dock with a fork. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius and when ready, bake the base for 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through. You don't need to weigh this down if you freeze the pastry. The pastry can be baked 1 to 2 days in advance. Just cover well and place in an airtight container.

Filling

Heat the milk with the cinnamon stick to just under boiling point.

Lightly beat the eggs with the sugar, and then add the corn flour and flour.

Pour the hot milk into this mixture, stirring rapidly.

Return the mixture to the heat and cook, stirring until the mixture thickens.

Keep stirring while it is cooking to prevent it from catching on the bottom of the pot and getting lumpy.

Take the mixture off the heat and add the vanilla essence and butter.

Stir well until the butter is melted.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tart crust.

Place the milk tart in the fridge and allow to set for at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.

Before serving, dust the cinnamon over the milk tart. Slice and serve.