Cheesecakes
Milk Tart Crumble Bars
Originally published · Modified
A delicious milk tart filling, sandwiched in between a crispy shortbread base and a cinnamon-spiced crumble.
Milk Tart (or affectionately known as Melktert, its Afrikaans name) needs no introduction in any South African household. Think of a custard tart, but with a higher ratio of milk to eggs and spiced typically with cinnamon. The higher milk content gives this a much creamier and "less set" feel and it is where it gets its name from.
I have a no bake version, with the recipe posted on Instagram because it is so short and the instructions so simple. For a more traditional version, I have a baked Milk Tart which I have also shared on my blog before. But today .... well today we are doing something a bit different.
When thinking up recipes, I always like to lean into something familiar, but then add in contrasting textures and complementary flavours to really make this my own. Cue these insanely good Milk Tart Crumble Bars. A delicious shortbread base gets covered in a fragrant, spiced custard. To cut through the richness, some spiced, slightly tart apples (I prefer Granny Smith for their tarter flavour) are strewn across the top before being adorned with a cinnamon crumble and flaked almonds. I first shared these on Instagram last year and they went semi-viral with so many people requesting the recipe. I must say, I know that people are usually very protective of our South African classics, so was very glad when this new interpretation was wholeheartedly embraced.
Now we can debate as to whether the traditional, more shortcrust-like base is preferable to a quick coconut biscuit base ... but I will leave that for another time. In fact, let me throw in a third option just because I can – a shortbread base. Not conventional, but so delicious and way easier to make than the other two bases mentioned above. As if you need any further convincing, part of this base also gets used to make a delicious cinnamon crumble which brings interesting texture to this bake.
Ok, but the million dollar question .... why would you do this??! Well, to begin, because I can! But also a few practical limitations I had with a traditional milk tart, that I thought to resolve.
- This is baked in a square tin, so the tin is more accessible and it can be portioned into smaller pieces to feed more people. Especially if you do not want a big, fat slice.
- It is great to be eaten by hand, as it is more dainty and easier in shape.
- Adding in the crumble and the apples adds to a dessert, which otherwise can be more heavy on the creaminess, with little contrast from different textures and flavours.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and now you know why I decided to do something a bit different 🙂 I have had so many people message me and tell me how delicious this is, after trying it, so I encourage you to give it a go too. Happy Baking.
Recipe timeline
Whilst it can feel like there are many components to this dessert, they are all relatively simple and independent of one another. For ease of baking, I list the order below so that you can plan your time and enjoy baking at leisure.
- Step 1: Make the base and the crumble. Bake the base and get the crumble into the fridge, whilst you get on with the recipe.
- Step 2: Make the spiced apples. As mentioned below, in a pinch you can leave this step out, but it adds so much flavour to the bake.
- Step 3: Make the custard filling.
- Step 4: Assemble all the different parts and bake. Then let rest in the fridge before cutting.
Other milk tart recipes
If you love Milk Tart, then you need to try these tried and trusted recipes below.
Melktert (Milktart)
A slightly non-traditional but very moreish take on a milk tart, with a lovely shortcrust pastry encasing a souffléd spiced custard.
View recipe
Doughnuts filled with Milk Tart Mousse
These eggless doughnuts are wonderfully light and fluffy, with a slightly crisp outside – and perfectly complemented by the delicious, airy milk tart mousse.
View recipe
Mini Milktarts
These mini versions of the traditional milktart are the perfect dessert to pack for a picnic.
View recipe
Milk Tart Slices
A cheat version of the usual South African classic, with a more rustic flair.
View recipe
The recipe
Milk Tart Crumble Bars
adventureswithsugar.com/milk-tart-crumble-bars/
Method
Method: base and crumble
- Prepare the tin and the oven: Preheat the oven to 180˚ Celsius. Grease and line the base and sides of a 20cm square baking tin, with baking paper and set aside.
- Make the base and crumble: Set the melted butter, ground cinnamon and almond flakes aside. Place all the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Pour over the melted butter and use a bread knife to bring together. The dough may be a bit clumpy, but that is fine.
- Set aside the crumble topping: Remove about 40g of dough, mix through the ground cinnamon and place in the fridge as the crumble topping, until ready to use.
- Bake the base: Place the remaining dough in your baking tin and bake for around 15 – 20 minutes as a guide. The base is done when the edges start to get a bit brown and the top has a very tan colour to it. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Method: spiced apples
- Cook the apples: Place a medium pan on the stove and turn onto medium heat. Add the butter to the pan and heat until melted. Mix the apples with the rest of the ingredients, except the cornflour and water slurry. Add this to the pan and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes. The sugar should melt and the apples should soften a little. Avoid cooking the apples completely as they will bake in the oven and you want them to retain some texture.
- Add the cornflour slurry to thicken the mixture: Once the sugar has melted and the apples have released some moisture, add in the cornflour slurry and cook for a minute or two until the apples are coated in a thick syrup and are looking all jammy. I know pre-cooking the apples feels like an extra step, but this gives the bars a delicious flavour without releasing too much water into the final bake.
Method: milk tart filling
- Heat the milk, cream and spices: Place the milk, whipping cream, cinnamon, bay leaf and grated nutmeg in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium until the milk begins to simmer. Then turn off and let steep for 5 minutes.
- Mix the remaining ingredients: Place the flour and cornflour into a large heat-proof bowl. Slowly add in the water and mix to form a slurry. Add the water a little at a time so that the flours are well dissolved. Then add in the sugar, eggs and vanilla and whisk to combine everything.
- Temper the eggs with the hot milk: Slowly pour in the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and whisk constantly to increase the temperature of the eggs, without scrambling them.
- Cook the custard: Then place this mixture back into the pot and cook on medium heat until the custard begins to thicken. Make sure you are constantly whisking to ensure that the eggs do not scramble and the custard does not catch at the bottom of the pot. There will be a moment when things look quite lumpy and curdled, but continue whisking vigorously and everything will come together.
- Add in the butter to the custard: To add a bit of richness and set to the custard, when it cools, add in the butter and whisk until it melts into the hot custard. Remove the cinnamon quill and bay leaf from the custard and discard.
- Add the custard to the shortbread base: Pour the milk tart filling onto the biscuit base and spread to cover the base, with an even layer of the custard.
- Add in the cooked apples and the crumble: Now add in the cooked apples randomly over the milk tart filling, to disperse the flavour. Then remove the crumble from the fridge and sprinkle the crumble over the milk tart filling. I like to keep some pieces of the filling chunky for extra texture. Then toss on the flaked almonds.
- Bake the milk tart filling and crumble: Place the milk tart crumble bars in the oven to bake at 180˚ Celsius for a further 20 – 25 minutes, until the crumble topping has browned slightly. Give the tin a shake, the custard may have a slight wobble in the centre, but should be firmly set around the sides of the tin. That is when you know that it is done.
- Remove from the oven and let cool: Remove the milk tart crumble bars from the oven and let it cool in the tin completely. Then place in the fridge for about 4 hours to set before lifting out of the tin. If you desire, and want to add a bit of additional sweetness, dust with some icing sugar before serving.
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