Recipe by: Derick van Biljon
See more of Derick’s creations: instagram.com/foodie.south.africa/
Pie Shell
1 cup polenta meal
1/4 cup water
2 cup flour
1/2 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup vegan butter
1 Tbsp flax powder dissolved in 3 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
- Preheat the oven to 180° fan
- When cooled, mix the other dry ingredients with the polenta until fully incorporated.
- Add the vegan butter and mix till a semi dough forms.
- Add the flax and mix well. At this stage you might have to add a bit of water if too dry (or a sprinkle of flour if too wet)
- Allow to rest for 15min and then roll out the dough between two sheets of baking paper.
- Carefully press the dough into a greased springform pan – it’s very forgiving and you could even use your fingers to press the dough into the right shape and thickness (aim for about 5mm) Be sure to fill any gaps to hold the filling without leaking.
- Neaten up the edges, prick the base with a fork and bake for 15-17min or until golden brown.
TIP: Polenta is gluten free so substitute the flour for buckwheat flour if you are keen on gluten free baking.
Milk Tart Filling
4 cups soy milk (divided)
6 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks broken
1/2 nutmeg whole
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp Vegan Butter
- Warm 3 3/4 soy milk with the cinnamon and nutmeg almost to boiling
- Mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup soy milk to a smooth paste, ensuring that any lumps are fully incorporated. Add the paste to the heated milk mixture while whisking vigorously.
- Stir and scrape the pot continuously for 10 – 15 min – until the filling thickens and a groove is left when doing a spoon test.
- Strain through a sieve to remove any bits of cinnamon or nutmeg.
- Enrich the filling by whisking in the vegan butter.
- Pour the filling into your pie shell (in the springform pan) and dust generously with ground cinnamon while still warm.
- Refrigerate and allow to set overnight.
ENJOY!
NOTE: I used soy milk as it is best suited to achieve the taste of a milk tart filling and it’s relatively inexpensive, but you can use almond, oat or coconut milk instead.
