Booze to fudge: we put five milk tart-flavoured goodies to the taste test

Steeped in history, the melktert has Dutch origins. While the original dessert features a pastry case filled with a sweet egg custard and has the unmistakable flavour of ground cinnamon, which is sprinkled over the top, it's undergone many transformations over time.

It’s also been the inspiration for many different milk-tart inspired products from limited-edition chocolate bars to instant cappuccinos.

We put a handful of these goodies to the taste test:

GOURMET FUDGE KAROO MILK TART FUDGE

R25 — R28 for a 100g, depending on stockist

Gourmet Fudge uses an old family recipe as the base for their multi-award-winning fudges, which come in loads of different flavours including Karoo Milk Tart.

With a subtle cinnamon flavour coming through in each bite, this melktert-inspired confection certainly conjures up thoughts of the classic SA bake. Rich, creamy and utterly delicious, it’s no wonder it’s one of their top five best-sellers alongside others like Amarula Cream and Bar One Dream.

Visit their website for stockists. — TJS

NESCAFÉ RICOFFY MILK TART FLAVOURED CAPPUCCINO

R39.99 for a box of 8 sachets

Described as “a smooth and frothy cappuccino sensation filled with South African flavour”, pour boiling water over the contents of a sachet and stir it up to create a milky coffee with a puddle of a foam on the top.

I couldn't find any trace of a milk tart flavour in the cup I tried. No kidding, there was not a hint of cinnamon nor any of the appealing spice flavour in the coffee. Instead it was syrupy sweet with the synthetic milky/creamy flavour characteristic of a coffee creamer. — HB

LIMITED EDITION MILK TART-FLAVOURED KITKAT

R9 for a 41.5g chocolate

I’m a huge fan of KitKat, I enjoy the sense of comfort of tasting something that has stayed the same for so many years: fingers of crispy wafer enrobed in milk chocolate. So simple and delicious.

Yet times are a changing and so is the KitKat, which now comes in dark and white chocolate options, and more recently a special milk tart-flavoured one. I’m not a fan of it — sickly sweet and way too creamy, the chocolate coating drowns the subtle flavour of the wafer. I was hoping for a dash of cinnamon to temper the sweetness, but it’s hardly even there.

The milk tart-flavoured KitKat was a limited edition for Heritage month, it'll be on shelf until it's sold out. — HB

TANT’ SANNIE SE MELKTERT LIQUEUR

R129 for a 750ml bottle

I was drawn to this liqueur by its colour; it looks like a milk tart filling in a bottle.

Described as a ‘traditional pudding in a glass’ it looks and tastes like a runny version of a commercial custard, is very sweet and lacks any of the distinctive cinnamon flavour of a milk tart. The serving suggestion is to “serve on the rocks garnished with cinnamon sprinkles”.

The cream liqueur doesn’t carry any list of ingredients, but the label indicates it contains milk and soy. It also has quite a kick — the alcohol content is 15.5% — with the sweetness belying the booziness.

I can see it as a popular dessert dop, or added to custard, ice cream and malva pudding. — HB

LIMITED EDITION TINKIES MILK TART FLAVOURED SPONGE CAKES

R29.99 for a box of six

Oh how I used to covet the Tinkies in my friend’s lunch boxes at primary school; this treat was something my health-conscious mom never bought at home. So when I spotted Tinkies had brought out a limited-edition milk tart-flavoured version, I couldn’t resist buying a box.

Sadly the sweet snack was a disappointment; I couldn’t detect a trace of milk tart in the creamy filling which had a strange, almost alcoholic taste.

The Tinkies Facebook team confirms that these treats were a one-time deal for Heritage month, but if you fancy trying them you might still be able to snag a box at your local supermarket. — TJS