mitzireddy

This weekend we were invited to lunch at my friend, Elizabeth’s, place – which is always a treat with lots of delicious food, booze and fun company. There is a long standing joke amongst her friends – Elizabeth loves entertaining, planning the table décor and putting together the menu – but the cooking is always done by her mum, Nellie, who is a really great cook. (Nellie is now in her late 80’s – Elizabeth seems to have the knack of keeping her mum young and energetic). Do not be fooled by her frail looks – she has the energy of someone 20 years her junior.

Life tends to throw curve balls every now and then and Elizabeth has had her fair share of fielding these curve balls. I have known her for almost 18 years – the period during her remission – she is currently undergoing treatment for cancer. She never ceases to amaze me with her strength and her zest for life. She refuses to change her lifestyle and still hosts tea parties and luncheons with the same energy as always and she is fun to be with – truly inspirational.

She served this delicious fruit tart that needs no baking – I am posting the recipe together with some pictures I took at the luncheon.

FRUIT TARTS

Makes 12 tarts   8cm in diameter

CRUST

1 ½ pkt tennis biscuits ( 300 gr)

200ml melted butter

FILLING

4 x 250ml (4 cup) milk

1 can (385gr) condensed milk

2 eggs

30ml (2 Tblsp) custard powder

30ml (2 Tbsp) cornflour

Pinch salt

10ml (2 tsp) vanilla essence

TOPPING

Fresh berries or seasonal fruit, sliced

Mix together the crushed biscuits and melted butter.

Firmly press the mixture on the bottom and sides of 12 individual loose bottomed tins (8 cm in diameter).

Chill until needed

Reserve 250ml (1 cup) of the milk. Pour the remaining of the milk into a saucepan and bring to boil.

Add the condensed milk and the eggs to the reserved milk and whisk well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add a little of the hot milk to the mixture and slowly add the mixture to the hot milk in the saucepan.

Stir continuously with a wire whisk until the mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and add the vanilla essence.

Pour the filling into the prepared crusts and chill until firm.

Pile the fresh fruit on top just before serving.