Rijstevlaai

Makes 1 x 26cm Tart Desserts and puddings

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Method

The day before, prepare the rice. Pour the milk into a pan, add the cinnamon and rosewater or the vanilla bean along with the rice and simmer over a low heat, covered, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the rice is tender, uncover the pan and remove from the heat. Set aside to cool slightly, remove the vanilla bean if used, then cover the rice and keep it in the fridge overnight.

The next day, remove the rice from the fridge 1 hour before cooking. Grease and flour a 3cm deep tart tin with a 26cm (top) and 25cm (base) diameter.

For the pastry, combine the flour, butter, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook. Pour in 85ml water and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth. Cover the bowl and leave to rest for 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, make the rice pudding. In a bowl, beat the 2 eggs with the caster sugar until creamy, as though you are making custard. Stir the egg mixture into the pan with the rice and add the butter. Put the pan over a low heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until it thickens, stirring constantly, then remove the pan from the heat and stir occasionally until the pudding has cooled down.

Preheat the oven to 200C/ Gas 6 – don’t use the fan setting. When the dough has risen, knock out the air and roll out as thinly as you can. Place over the greased tin, pressing it into the base then cut away the excess pastry.

Pierce the base all over with a fork, then spoon the rice pudding into the tart, reserving 2tbsp of the mixture. Mix the extra egg yolk and the icing sugar with the reserved rice pudding and spread that on top of the tart, levelling the top using a pastry brush.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 40–45 minutes until golden brown with pale flecks. Set aside to cool before serving.