Melk Tart, a South African Classic

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We love the sweet tooth satisfaction offered by this better-for-you twist on a classic South African dessert. Created by chef, Vanessa Marx, this Melk Tart recipe is a great family dessert.

Dietitian Cheryl Meyer says that seeds like pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds are easily incorporated into a variety of dishes. They not only boost flavour and crunch, they pack a nutritional punch loaded with fiber, protein and healthy fats.

For the crust:

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup desiccated coconut

20g sunflower seeds

20g sesame seeds

20g pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup unsweetened fresh apple juice

4 Tbl honey

1/4 vanilla pod

  • Preheat the oven to 160℃
  • Mix together all the coconut , seeds and oats
  • Cut the vanilla through the pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds
  • Put the apple juice, honey & vanilla pods and seeds into a small sauce pan and heat until infused and combined
  • Pour the apple juice over the oats mixture
  • Spread the mixture out onto an oven proof tray and bake until golden and crispy, stirring every 10 minutes, to make sure it is cooked evenly
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool
  • Line the base of your pie dish with the mixture to prepare it for the milk tart filling

For the filling: 

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs

80ml corn flour

½ tsp vanilla extract

2½ cup low fat milk

¼ vanilla pod, seeds removed

½ cup xylitol

Cinnamon for dusting

  • Mix together the eggs and corn flour in a bowl
  • Cut the vanilla through the pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds
  • Put the milk, vanilla pods and seeds, vanilla extract and xylitol into a saucepan and heat together until it comes to a boil
  • Remove from the heat and pour a little of the warm milk into the egg mixture, whilst whisking
  • Add the egg mixture back into the pot with the remaining milk, and whisk
  • Put the mixture back on the heat and whisk vigorously until it thickens and comes to a boil
  • Have your pie dish with the base ready, and pour the custard mixture into the pie dish
  • Leave the tart to cool at room temperature, and then refrigerate for at least 2 hours until completely cold
  • Remove the tart from the fridge and dust generously with cinnamon

Nutrition Information: per serving (recipe serves 12)

Energy: 825 kJ Protein: 6.8 g Carbohydrate: 25.4 g Of which, total sugars: 8.9 g Fat: 8.3 g Fibre: 1.3 g Sodium: 64 mg

 

Raw Chocolate Truffles

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Spoil the one you love with some homemade ‘Raw Chocolate Truffles’ made from raw cocoa paste, dates, goji berries, raw almonds, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, cinnamon and honey.

Our dietitians say:

Date flesh is a high source of energy and 100 g of flesh (about 4 mejool dates) can provide an average of 1300 kJ. It is rich in mainly fructose and glucose; low in fat and protein; and a good source of magnesium, potassium, copper, selenium and manganese. The consumption of 100 g of dates can provide over 15% of the recommended daily allowance from these minerals.

Vitamins B-complex (especially Vitamin B6) are the major vitamins in dates and they are an excellent source of dietary fiber (up to 8.0 g/100 g).

Last, but not least, dates are a good source of antioxidants, mainly carotenoids and phenolics.

We love this recipe:

Easy to make, package in a beautiful box and voila … a great gift for mom.

The raw chocolate balls are also a great dessert option – and can double up as a high energy lunchbox snack or perfect ‘take along’ energy boost for runners or cyclists.

Ingredients

100 g raw cocoa paste

100 g dates

30 g goji berries

50 g raw almonds, chopped

20 g sunflower seeds

20 g flaxseeds

2 ml cinnamon

20 g honey

*Makes 20 truffles

How to make it

– put the dates into a small saucepan and cover with a little water. Cook the dates in a medium high heat until soft (about 5 minutes) and the water has evaporated. Mash the dates into a purée and set aside.

– gently melt the cocoa paste on a low heat.

– mix the melted cocoa paste, date purée, goji berries, almonds, seeds, cinnamon and honey into a firm paste.

– roll the mixture into 15g balls and dust with cocoa powder, or roll in seeds or coconut to decorate.

The nutritional value per truffle (makes 20 truffles):

Energy: 254 kJ

Protein: 2 g

Carbohydrate: 4 g

Total fat: 3.2 g

Dietary Fibre: 1.1 g

Sodium: 48 mg