There is nothing better than a classic South African milk tart. The combination of the creamy, light texture with subtle cinnamon flavours and a delicious shortbread base takes it straight to the top of our must-have desserts! This twist on our most-loved afternoon and post-dinner treat not only celebrates the humble milk tart, but takes it to the next level.
You’ll need:
ICE-CREAM:
750ml whipping cream3 tsp vanilla extract2 cinnamon quills½ tsp ground cinnamon300g condensed milk, chilled overnight100g pistachio nuts, chopped
SANDWICHES:
2 cups flour1 egg½ cup sugar2 tsp baking powder125g butterpinch of saltCinnamon to serve
Get Started:
ICE-CREAM:
Place 250ml cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring the cream up to the boil and reduce the temperature down by half.Remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for at least 15 minutes.Strain the mixture and discard the solids. NB – Refrigerate until completely chilled.In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the chilled cinnamon cream, the remaining cream and condensed milk until combined and soft peaks form.Transfer the ice-cream to a freezer safe container and place in the freezer for 2 hoursRemove from the freezer and mash up the slightly solidified cream with a fork to prevent ice crystals from forming.Mix in the pistachio nuts.Place back into the freezer overnight.
SANDWICHES:
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.Cream butter and sugar together and add the egg, beat to combine.Add all other ingredients and combine with your hands until you have a stiff dough.Roll the dough out to about 7mm thickCut the dough into the desired shapes using a floured cookie cutter.Trasnfer to a greased cookie sheet and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden.
TO ASSEMBLE:
Remove the ice-cream from the freezer and leave to stand for a few minutes to soften.Line up your cookiesUsing the same cookie cutter as before, press into the ice-cream to form a shape and transfer to the top of a cookie. Simply press the ice-cream out onto the top of the cookie. Cut and shape if necessary with a paring knife.Press a second cookie on top.Repeat until you have used up the ice-cream.
To serve, dust with cinnamon and sprinkle with pistachio nuts.
Do you have a delicious twist on a South African classic? Let us know!