Bobba Shar’s melktert

My grandchildren asked me to make them a

(milk tart), South Africa’s alltime favourite. Naturally, I couldn’t wait to get home and start baking. After cleaning out my storage shed I found recipe files and books going back 35 years. The page for this recipe was torn, but there was a handwritten note on top that stated “outstanding recipe”. What a find of hidden treasures that day proved to be. Best of all, the was just in time for Shavuot when we traditionally eat milk-based dishes. If you cannot find Nuttikrusts or Tennis biscuits then Rich Tea biscuits can be substituted. If you’re making a non-dairy version, ensure that the biscuits are dairyfree too.

INGREDIENTS: Base:

200–250g tea biscuits, Nuttikrusts or Tennis biscuits, crushed

150g butter or margarine, melted

Filling:

1 litre milk (or 500ml Rich’s dairy creamer mixed with 500ml water for a dairy-free option)

3 tbsp butter or margarine

1 x 395g can condensed milk (or 200g sugar to keep it dairy-free)

A pinch salt

1 heaped tbsp custard powder 3 tbsp cornflour 3 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tsp vanilla essence Ground cinnamon for sprinkling

METHOD:

First make the base. Place the crushed biscuits into a bowl, then add the melted butter and mix well.

Press the mixture on to the base and sides of a pie dish with a 1.5-litre capacity. Refrigerate until ready to use.

In a saucepan, heat 750ml of the milk, reserving the remaining 250ml to use later. Add the butter or margarine and condensed milk (or sugar) and keep stirring with a whisk. Just as it starts to come to the boil, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, combine the salt, custard powder, cornflour and beaten eggs with the reserved cup of milk. Whisk until smooth. Very slowly add the cooled milk mixture to the egg mixture (it mustn’t scramble the eggs) and keep whisking until well combined.

Return this mixture to the saucepan in which the milk was warmed earlier. Heat and continue whisking until it thickens. (It’s important to whisk all the time as the mixture must be very smooth, without any lumps. If you find a few, strain the mixture through a fine sieve.)

Finally, add the vanilla essence and stir well.

Pour the filling into the refrigerated pie crust.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and allow to cool.

Cover with clingfilm and leave to set overnight.