Banting Milktart

Ingredients:

Macaroon Base

1 1/4 cup desiccated coconut

1/4 cup xylitol

1/4 cup almond flour

1 tsp honey

1 Tbl melted butter

1 Tbl coconut flour

2 egg whites

Pinch of salt

Custard Filling

750ml full-cream milk

250ml pouring cream

2 egg yolks

2 whole eggs

1/4 cup xylitol

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup almond flour

1 Tbl vanilla

1 Tbl gelatine powder or 1 gelatine leaf

1 Tbl coconut flour

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Macaroon Base:

– Preheat oven to 180C

– In a microwave safe bowl add the butter and honey and cook for a few seconds until the butter is melted and the honey is runny.

– In a mixing bowl add all your ingredients and stir well to combine, it should have a nice sticky shiny texture once well mixed.

– Grease a baking dish with butter and pour your base mixture in, spreading it around with a spoon until it’s even thickness the whole way around the dish and up the sides.

– Don’t be afraid to get stuck in there with your hands and really press the base mixture flat and up the sides, creating a lip around the top to help encase the custard filling. Using a fork, poke holes in the base to allow the heat to cook all the way through.

– Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the coconut starts to toast around the edges and the centre is firm and cooked. Watch that it doesn’t burn.

– Set aside to cool slightly while you get on with the filling.

Custard Filling:

– In a saucepan start by gradually heating the full-cream milk and pouring cream.

– In a separate heat-proof bowl crack in your whole eggs and yolks and whisk until pale and yellow and well combined.

– Place the gelatine into a small bowl with about 2 Tbl of tepid water and stir until it’s dissolved.

– As the milk starts to heat up, add the vanilla, xylitol, coconut flour, almond flour, butter, salt and dissolved gelatine into the warming milk mixture and whisk well to combine.

– Once the milk mixture just starts to bubble, remove from the heat and pour a small amount of the hot milk over the eggs in their separate bowl, whisking the eggs and hot milk immediately to temper the eggs. Then continue gradually adding small amounts of hot milk and whisking between additions.

– Once the eggs and hot milk mixture have been well combined, add them back into the pot that was originally used to heat up and the milk and return it back to the heat. Turning the heat down to medium and whisking continually until it starts to thicken into a custard.

– Don’t over cook the custard, once it just starts to thicken and gently starts sticking to the sides of the pan it’s done. The gelatine will help thicken it and it will stiffen up once cold.

– Allow the custard to cool slightly, then pour into the macaroon base. Leave to stand and cool completely before placing in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. It’s best served the next day, as that really gives the custard a chance to solidify and the base takes on a luscious tacky quality that really goes well with the custard. But if you’re pressed for time, or just simply can’t wait to get stuck in, then make sure it has at least an hour of chill time to firm up properly.

#banting #milktart #melktert