Koeksister, quince and melktert crumble

For the melktert custard, preheat the oven to 160°C. Add the milk, cream, vanilla pod and cinnamon stick to a large saucepan over low heat and bring to a simmer slowly. As the milk begins to bubble and rise in the pan, remove from heat, cover and set aside to infuse, 15 minutes. Strain the milk into a bowl and discard the vanilla pod and cinnamon stick.

Lightly whisk the eggs and egg yolk together in a mixing bowl. Add the cornflour, castor sugar and a third of the warm, strained milk. Beat together, using a wire whisk, until quite smooth. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and add the remaining milk. Cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick and smooth – it should have the consistency of a thick, white sauce. Don’t let it boil.

Pour the melktert custard into 6 small potjies (three-legged pots) or ramekins and bake in the oven, 20 minutes. The custard should be slightly set, yet still very wobbly. Leave the oven on.

For the quince, place the quince slices, lemon juice, butter and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and the sugar to caramelise slightly. Add the water and spices and stir thoroughly, making sure the quince slices are coated evenly in the spices. Bring to a boil and allow the liquid to reduce to a thick syrup, 5 – 10 minutes. The quince slices should be soft but still hold their shape. Remove from heat.

For the crumble, mix together all the ingredients in a bowl.

To assemble, layer the quince slices on top of the custard mixture and top with the koeksister crumble. Transfer to the oven and cook until the crumble turns golden, 5 – 10 minutes. Serve hot or cold.