Milk tart (baked)

Probably the most traditional South African sweet (apart from koeksisters). This recipe has a home-made crust, although I usually bypass this and use store-bought butter puff pastry instead, pre-cooked in the oven for 15 minutes or so with ceramic baking beans, since I adore a puff pastry milk tart.

Crust:

1/2 c butter, melted

1/4 c sugar

1 egg

2 c flour

10 ml baking powder

pinch of salt

Mix the sugar and egg into the melted butter, working fast so the egg doesn't cook in the warm butter. Sift dry ingredients and mix into the butter mixture. Roll out, divide this between two pie dishes (1 litre volume each) and make holes with a fork. 

Filling:

1.5 l milk

1/4 c butter

4 eggs

200 ml sugar (the original recipe calls for 250 ml but I prefer it less sweet)

150 ml cornflour

12.5 ml flour

pinch of salt

5 ml vanilla extract

Bring milk and butter to the boil. Beat eggs and sugar until light and thick. Add the cornflour, flour, salt and vanilla. Mix a little of the milk mixture into the egg mixture to thin it, and then add to the warm milk pot, whisking all the while. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens, be careful not to let it burn at the bottom. Pour into prepared crusts, sift some cinnamon over the top (optional) and bake 40 minutes at 180 degrees.