Birthday Celebrations

 This year I have a birthday so I made a pinata. It was stuffed with fun sized chocolate candies that I bought in Denver before coming down to the ice (surprised I was able to not eat them all in the last 5 months). The pinata was supposed to be a marmot, but it turned out a bit more like a hedgehog.

 A friend and I made ""milk tarts" a recipe they picked up in South Africa, which is a milk based spiced custard that is really good.

We set up the pinata in the garage. 

 It was heavy duty enough that about 20 people got a good whack at it. It was a great time with a lot of cheering and laughing as the hedgehog went careening around the room. It was all around a great time. 

The after math.

Here is the milk tart recipe:

Melkterts - recipe for one 9" tart

Crust

2 cups flour

¾ cup butter

Pinch of salt

4 tbsp sugar

Rub together and press into tart dish. Poke with fork. Bake at 350 F for 15 mins until light brown

Custard

3 cups milk

90 g butter (⅜ cup, 6.3 Tbsp)

2 eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 heaped tbsp flour

1 heaped tbsp corn starch

½ tsp vanilla essence

¼ tsp almond essence (I use less)

Optional 1 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or whatever spice flavor you want

Combine together milk and butter over medium heat. Stir.

Beat together all other ingredients and add slowly to milk mixture when almost boiling. Stir continuously.

Stir continuously until it thickens and pour into tart crusts.  Sprinkle with cinnamon when cool.