These classic South African unbaked milk tarts are so easy and delicious. The base is made with the iconic Baker’s Tennis biscuits and melted butter.
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Milk tart is a classic South African heritage recipe and it’s utterly delicious. The filling consists of either a cooked custard filling and the tart itself can be baked or unbaked. When it’s baked it’s the most similar to a Portuguese pasteis de nata and originates from the Dutch part of our heritage.
I have done a baked milk tart recipe on my site and it’s a really nice one. I added a twist and infused Earl Grey tea into the filling turning it into a London Fog rendition, but you could leave that out and make a traditional version.
These mini tarts are novel but they require more biscuits for the base and take a little longer to make. It’s much easier to go with one large milk tart and then use one packet of biscuits. I’ve included instructions to do it both ways.
After making this I was reminded how much I really love milk tart. There is something so comforting about eating a confection that can take you right back to your childhood and to other times throughout your life. It’s what heritage recipes are all about and I love the nostalgia of it.
To make this into 1 large milk tart:
This recipe can be made into 1 large milk tart using 200 grams (1 packet) of tennis biscuits and 100 grams of butter as the base. To make 12 individual tarts you will need more crumb base so I have done 1.5 times the recipe to make 12.
I used a 25cm pie/tart tin which has an 18cm base circumference. It was a snug fit and it was perfect, but a 26cm pie dish could also work. This biscuit base is also generous which I like.
See myberry cheesecake with almond crumble
You might also like these South African recipes:
Earl Grey tea milk tart-Baked milk tart
The best buttermilk bran rusks
Orange malva pudding
The best chocolate malva pudding
My grandmother Betty’s crunchy recipe
A classic buttermilk rusk recipe
Easy peppermint crisp pudding
Traditional South African bobotie with fragrant yellow rice
Here is my video of how to make a classic South African unbaked milk tart recipe:
Recipe – makes 1 big milt tart or 12 mini milk tarts
A classic South African unbaked milk tart
This is the best classic South African unbaked Milk Tart recipe
Print Recipe
Prep Time:20 minutesmins
Ingredients
200gms1 packet Tennis biscuits
100gms buttermelted
700mlfull cream milk
1tin condensed milk
2tspvanilla extract
2eggsseparated
50gms cornstarch
50mlwater
pinchof salt
Cinnamon to decorate
Instructions
Break the Tennis biscuits into fine crumbs by hand or by using a food processor and mix in the melted butter until well combined.
Line a 25cm-26cm pie tin with the tennis biscuit crumbs and press down to compact. Place in the fridge or freezer to set while you make the filling.
If you are making individual milk tarts, use 1 1/2 packets of tennis biscuits (300 grams) and 150 grams of butter. Line the base and sides of 12 x 8cm individual tart cases with the biscuit crumbs and press to compact. Place in the fridge or freezer to set while you make the filling.
In a medium-sized pot, heat the milk, condensed milk and vanilla over a medium until boiling point (make sure you stir until the condensed milk is dissolved).
While that is heating up, separate the eggs and whisk the eggs whites to soft peak in a bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch, water and salt. When the milk is at boiling point take it off the heat and allow it to cool for 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk mixture slowly while whisking vigorously all the time.
Return the pot to a low heat and continue to whisk constantly until it thickens, about 5 -7 minutes.
Add the egg whites to the milk mixture and whisk for about 2 more minutes until well combined.
Pour the filling into the lined pastry cases and allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge to set completely.
Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and serve.
Notes
It is best to make this Milk tart the day before and allow it to fully set and cool in the fridge overnight. the flavour will also improve overnight.
The filling can be used as a chilled thick custard for various other desserts.
To make 12 mini milk tarts increase the crumb mixture to 1.5 packets (300 grams) and 150 grams of butter.
Melktert (/ˈmɛlktɛrt/, Afrikaans for milk tart) is a South African dessert originally created by the Dutch settlers in the "Cape" (South Africa) consisting of a sweet pastry crust containing a custard filling made from milk, flour, sugar and eggs.
Whether it be a French Flan Patissier, a Portuguese Pasteis de Nata or an Italian Torte della Nonna, there are definite similarities the world over. The major difference in comparison of Milk Tart to these, is the absence of lots of eggs in the custard.
South Africans expect to find melktert at supermarkets, bake sales, church events, bakeries, and celebrations. Dutch colonizers brought early recipes for this cinnamon-dusted custard pie to the southern tip of Africa in the 17th century.
Allow the milk tart to cool at room temperature. If you put it in the fridge straight away, you will probably end up with a huge crack down the centre as a result of cooling too quickly. Be sure to use the best quality ingredients.
The important things I think, are full-cream milk, good-quality vanilla paste or extract, a buttery crust and good-quality cinnamon.” She is not opposed to a bit of cardamom in the custard, or a small amount sprinkled on top.
Melktert stems from the Dutch settlers in the Cape in the 1600s. The origin of Mattentaart is credited to a recipe listed in Thomas van der Noot's book, “Een notabel boexcken van co*keryen” (A Notable Book of Cookery) and it's possible that melktert developed from the same recipe.
It originated in the Dutch Cape Colony in the 1700s, amongst the Afrikaner population. It is believed to have developed from the Dutch 'Mattentaart', which was a cheesecake-like dessert. The Afrikaans name for this pudding is 'melktert', which translates directly to its English name, milk tart.
The science of perfect flan lies in the fact that, unlike most custard-based dishes, it contains both egg yolks and egg whites. Egg yolks are made up of fat, protein and about 50% water. The fat in the yolk gives desserts like crème brûlée, crème caramel and flan their creamy and smooth texture.
Custard is a sweet sauce for serving with hot desserts, made from eggs, milk, sugar & cornflour, flavoured usually with vanilla. A flan is an open topped pastry case usually filled with fruit and usually some form of jelly (Jello) or sweet aspic.
Amasi is a traditional Southern African fermented dairy product usually made at a household level from unpasteurised milk. It is widely consumed throughout the Southern Africa region and it relies on specific microorganisms for its taste, aroma, consistency and texture.
Bobotie. Considered by many to be the South African national dish, Bobotie (pronounced ba-bo-tea) is a meat-based dish and one of the most well-known examples of Cape Malay cuisine. ...
Overmixing is exactly what it sounds like: the process by which a dough or batter gets mixed too much, typically yielding dense, tough, or deflated baked goods. Overmixed doughs and batters may have an unappealing look or feel, which remain just as unappealing when they're baked.
And finally, the most frustrating pastry problem of all – the soggy bottom. This normally happens when the oven is not hot enough or the pastry is not baked for long enough. However, it can also be because too much water was added to the dough.
Just as the milk comes to a boiling roll, reduce the heat to a simmer and whisk in the sugar-flour mix. The milk mixture is cooked on medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes stirring consistently. This will prevent any lumps from forming.
Amasi is a fermented milk product which is made from full cream milk. The bacterial cultures present in the homemade fermented amasi are inherited from the unpasteurized milk left in the calabash or clay pots which was used to store the milk.
Amasi is traditionally prepared by storing unpasteurised cow's milk in a calabash container (Xhosa: iselwa, Zulu: igula) or hide sack to allow it to ferment. A calabash is smoked, then milk from the cow is put in a skin bag or bucket, where it ferments for 1 - 5 days, and acquires a sharp acidic taste.
Sour milk is a drink that is popular in Southern Africa and is fermented milk that tastes like a mix between cottage cheese and plain yogurt.Common names for this drink are Inkomazi,Maas,Amasi,Madila Stock Photo | Adobe Stock.
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