Dedicated to South Africans living abroad...and all lovers of Traditional South African food

As promised in my last newsletter, this time I will be concentrating on our traditional tarts. On top of the list, in my humble opinion, is the milk tart or as we call it here, "melktert"! If you happen to be visiting South Africa on holiday, you have to visit the Kruger park, Table Mountain and have some "melktert". The you can leave South Africa and truthfully say "I have done it all!" Needless to say, the "melktert" takes pride of place in this newsletter.

I also have a selection of other tart recipes for you to try out but there are literally hundreds more, so if you would like a specific tart recipe, just email me and I will try and lay my hands on it for you. 

...and I am still looking for more wacky ways to improve the Elephant Stew recipe, a big thanx to those who have already sent in suggestions:-) Take a look at the other comments and add yours  
Peter

Please pass this letter URL on to friends and  hopefully they will subscribe as well. I would especially like as many South Africans no longer living here to get to see it:-) Subscription details at the end..

If you happen to be looking for a specific Traditional Sout African recipe, just email me and I will do my best to try and find it for you! 

When you have had a look at the recipes below, click here to visit the main recipe page on my site. 

Any comments, positive or otherwise on this Newsletter will be appreciated!

That's it for now
Keep well
Peter

The Recipes
See Links for Metric Converter

Pastry (Only)

125g (1/2 cup) butter
250ml (3/4 cup) castor sugar
5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence
1 egg, beaten
250ml (1 cup) cake flour
250ml (1 cup) self-raising flour
10ml (2 tsp) oil
a pinch salt

Cream butter and sugar together then add vanilla essence. Add egg then gradually add the flours, oil and salt and work lightly to form a soft and pliable dough. Grease your pie dish lightly with butter. Roll out pastry on a floured surface and line the dish with it. Pour in filling and bake as per instructions.

Tart Crust with Biscuits (Only)

1/2 packet Marie biscuits (alternatively Tennis or Ginger biscuits)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup soft or melted butter

Crush biscuits and add sugar and cinnamon. Mix with butter. Line sides and base of tart dish. Refrigerate or bake for 5 minutes at 180ºC or 350ºF

Crustless Milk Tart "Melktert"

4 eggs, separated
200g (250ml) sugar
60g (75ml) butter or margarine, melted
140g (250ml, unsifted, measured) cake flour
5ml baking powder
pinch of salt
1litre milk
5ml vanilla essence
40g (50ml) cinnamon sugar (ground cinnamon mixed with sugar)

Preheat oven to 180ºC ( 350ºF).
Grease tart pans with a volume of 1litre each or spray with non-stick spray.
Beat egg yolks, sugar and butter till creamy. Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt together and beat it into the egg mixture. Add milk and vanilla essence and mix.
Beat egg whites till firm and fold into milk mixture with a metal spoon; the mixture is thin. Pour mixture into tart pans and bake for 40 - 50 minutes on middle oven shelf till done.
Serve hot or cold.

Fig Jam Tart

Use biscuit tart crust
113g (1/4 lb) soft butter
113g (1/4 lb) castor sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup fatfree milk powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons fig jam

Beat butter and sugar till creamy. Add beaten egg, beat together. Sift dry ingredients together. Fold dry ingredients into butter mixture, alternating with water. Add mixture to crust and drip fig jam on top. bake for 25-30 minutes at 180ºC (350ºF)
Serve with beaten cream

Orange Cream Tart

Use biscuit tart crust
27 marshmallows
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 cup cream

Place marshmallows, orange juice, lemon juice and peel in a double cooker and heat till the marshmallows have melted.
Cool and fold in beaten cream. Pour mixture in tart crust and garnish with beaten cream and cherries.

Crustless Savory Tart

4 slices bread
2 cups milk
3 beaten eggs
2 cups grated cheese
1 tin vienna sausages
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon chopped onion
garlic salt
cayenne pepper
salt
mustard
113gram (1/4 pound) fried bacon

Soak bread in milk. Beat the eggs, pour over the bread and add the cheese. Dice the vienna sausages and add to mixture. Add parsley and onions and flavor to taste with salt, pepper and mustard. Pour mixture into greased tart dish and bake for 35 minutes at 180ºC (350ºF)

Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Contact

Subscribe/Unsubscribe using the form on the Recipes page
Contact me by email Comments welcome!