Milk Tart Recipe

I seem to get a lot of hits from people looking for milk tart recipes, so - since I don't think I've ever posted a recipe - I thought I'd share the two recipes that we use. We use the crustless recipe most often, but the second recipe reminds me so strongly of Bobby's mum that I make it when I'm feeling nostalgic for Pietermaritzburg.

Crustless Milk Tart

Ingredients

4 cups milk

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 cup flour

pinch of salt salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Directions

1. Melt the butter, add the egg yolks and sugar, and whisk mixture.
   
2. Add the dry ingredients and milk to the egg mixture.
   
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the mix and blend well.
   
4. Pour into an oven-proof dish about 35x20cm- the mixture should be about 3cm deep.
   
5. Bake at 160C for 45-60mins.
   
6. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve hot or cold.
   

And here's the more traditional recipe - milk tart in a pastry shell. My mother-in-law makes this all the time; she seldom goes to visit anyone without taking a freshly-baked milk tart along with her.

Traditional Milk Tart

Pie Crust

1/2 C. margarine

1/2 C. sugar

1 egg

2 C. flour, sifted

pinch of salt

Filling

4 C. milk
1 Tbs. margarine
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
3 Tbs. cornflour
3 Tbs. flour
1 Tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Cream the margarine and sugar together and beat in the egg.
   
2. Add the flour and salt and knead until a soft dough is formed.
   
3. Press the mixture into a greased circular pie dish and bake at 350°F / 180Cfor 15 minutes.
   
4. Bring the milk and margarine to the boil.
   
5. Cream the sugar, eggs, corn starch, flour and vanilla essence.
   
6. Add some of the hot milk to the creamed mixture, then pour mixture back into the pot and heat gently until it thickens. Do not boil.
   
7. Pour the filling into the pie crust and cool.
   
8. Refrigerate until required and sprinkle with cinnamon to serve.
   

Enjoy!