Pastry Post-Doc: South African Milk Tart / Melktert

The worldwide appeal of sweet custard strikes again (Chinese egg tarts, Creme Brulee, flan, etc.) – this time in the form of one of South Africa’s signature dishes, the Milktart (or melktert in Afrikaans). Having Dutch roots that trace back to the 1600s, the melktert pie is a sweet milk and egg custard filling (sometimes flavored with cinnamon) in a pastry shell, topped with even more cinnamon (which was first introduced around the same time from Indonesia). The dish is similar to a pastel de nata or Chinese custard tart, but with fewer eggs. Being such a popular dish, there are countless versions on the classic milk tart, all with similar principles of cream in a pastry shell.  But with changing tastes, you can now find recipes for vegan or crustless milk tarts.

Milk Tart by Anna @ Cinnamon Box