MELKTERT

Melktert image

Provided by Lannice Snyman

Yield Makes 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

400 g (14 ounces) puff pastry or flaky pastry (see tips, below)
500 ml (2 cups) full-cream milk (whole milk)
1 stick cinnamon
3 eggs, separated
80 ml (1/3 cup) cake flour
15 ml (1 tablespoon) cornflour (cornstarch)
80 ml (1/3 cup) castor sugar (superfine sugar - regular sugar may be substituted)
2 ml (1/2 teaspoon) baking powder
30 g (30 ml) (2 tablespoons) butter
15 ml (1 tablespoon) vanilla essence (vanilla extract)
ground cinnamon

Steps:

CRUST
Set the oven at 200°C (400°F). Lightly grease a 24-cm (10-inch) shallow enamel plate or quiche tin. Roll out the pastry and line the baking plate or tin. Press in a piece of oiled foil and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake the crust for about 5 minutes more until crisp and golden. Allow to cool.
FILLING
Measure three-quarters of the milk into a saucepan, add the cinnamon and heat to just below boiling point. Set aside to infuse for about 15 minutes.
Mix together the remaining milk, egg yolks, flour, cornflour (cornstarch), castor sugar (superfine or regular sugar) and baking powder. Strain the cinnamon-flavoured milk, pour into a clean saucepan and cook, stirring, until the custard thickens. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the butter and vanilla essence. Cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 180°C (350°F).
Whisk the egg white stiffly and fold into the custard. Pour into the pastry shell and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C (325°F) and bake for about 30 minutes more, until the filling is set. Slide the hot tart onto a plate, sprinkle with ground cinnamon and serve warm.