South African Milk Tart (Melktert)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Cream the butter until pale and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat until incorporated. Beat in the egg and almond extract until smooth, about 2 minutes. 
• Stir in the flour and salt. Knead until a soft dough has formed. Chill for 10 minutes.
• Roll the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and layer it into a greased pie dish and blind bake for 15 minutes.
• For the milk tart filling
• In a bowl whisk sugar, flour, cornstarch, eggs and vanilla.
• Heat milk and butter gently in a saucepan over a medium heat.
• Add about a fourth of the milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to incorporate it evenly without cooking the eggs. 
• Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the hot milk. Return to heat and stir constantly with a spatula until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. The filling will be very thick and should run off the spoon in ribbons when lifted out of the pot. Again, do not boil.
• Pour the filling into the pie crust and let cool completely. Refrigerate 2-3 hours or until ready to serve. 
• Dust generously with cinnamon before serving.