Melktert / Custard Pie
This is a very traditional South African dish found at almost every social event. The ingredients can easily be multiplied to make use of larger glass pie dishes or to make more than two pies.
This very rich and tasty crust can be used for many different pies and tarts. You can also use your own favorite crust.
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To prepare the crusts:
1. Beat together 1 Cup Butter (or margarine) and ½ Cup Sugar until creamy.
2. While still beating, add 1 Egg and 1 Teaspoon Vanilla.
3. Sift together 2 ½ Cups Flour, pinch of Salt and 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder.
4. Add the two mixtures together to form a soft dough.
5. Press the dough in the bottom and sides of a sprayed pie dish.
6. Bake in a 350ºF oven to light brown – 12 to 15 minutes.
To make the filling:
1. Slowly heat 4 Cups Milk in a large pot – stir constantly to prevent the milk
from burning at the bottom of the pot.
2. While the milk is heating, beat together 4 Large Eggs, ½ Teaspoon Salt and 1 Cup Sugar until thick and creamy.
3. Mix together 1/3 Cup Flour, ½ Cup Corn Flour (Maizena) and 1 Cup Milk so that there are no lumps of flour. When the consistency is smooth, add it to the egg mixture.
4. Dissolve ½ Stick Butter (60g) in the milk on the stove – and bring it almost to a boil.
5. Add the egg/flour mixture to the almost boiling milk slowly while stirring with a whisk. Continue stirring so that the custard cooks evenly throughout.
6. It will not be too long before it thickens – when you stop stirring, there will be little eruptions in the thick custard – continue stirring for another five minutes, making sure the stove setting is not too hot to cause the custard to burn at the bottom of the pot.
7. Ladle the custard into the pie crust and sprinkle Cinnamon lightly over the entire top of the pie. The filling must not be thicker than 2 inches.
8. Let it stand to cool down – it will be solid enough to cut - and serve at room temperature.