AI-generated image
Kuchen de murta
Berry custard tart
Southern Chilean German-style berry tart with a custard layer and crumble, made with murta or cranberries
Around Lake Llanquihue, in Frutillar and Puerto Varas, German settlers of the 1850s left Chile a love of kuchen, now served with coffee in every café of the south. The Chilean twist is the fruit: murta (Chilean guava), a small, red, perfumed berry that grows wild there in autumn. A buttery base holds the berries in a light custard under a crumble of butter and sugar. Outside Chile, cranberries with a few blueberries give a similar sharp-sweet balance. Chef's tip: blind-bake the base for 10 minutes first; a pre-set base stays crisp under the wet custard.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the base
- 8 oz plain flour
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 ⅞ oz cold buttercubed
- 1 egg
For the filling
- 2 ½ oz sugar
- ¾ cup single cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the crumble
- 2 ⅞ oz plain flour
- 2 ⅛ oz sugar
- 1 ¾ oz cold buttercubed
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (5)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and butter a 24 cm loose-bottomed tart tin.
Step 2: Mix 8 oz plain flour, 2 ⅛ oz sugar and 1 tsp baking powder. Rub in 3 ⅞ oz cold butter until like breadcrumbs, then add 1 egg and bring together into a soft dough. Press evenly over the base and 3 cm up the sides of the tin. Prick and bake for 10 minutes until pale and just set.
12 minStep 3: Toss 14 oz murta berries, or fresh or frozen cranberries with a handful of blueberries with half of 1 ¼ oz sugar and scatter over the base.
Step 4: Whisk ¾ cup single cream, 2 eggs, 1 tbsp cornflour, 1 tsp vanilla extract and the rest of 1 ¼ oz sugar and pour over the berries.
Step 5: Rub 2 ⅞ oz plain flour, 2 ⅛ oz sugar and 1 ¾ oz cold butter together into small clumps and scatter over the top.
Step 6: Bake for 40–45 minutes until the custard has set with only a slight wobble in the centre and the crumble is golden. Common mistake: cutting it warm; let it cool for at least 1 hour or the custard runs.
45 minStep 7: Serve at room temperature with coffee, or with whipped cream.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does kuchen de murta take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 55 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Leche con plátanoBanana milk
Ask anyone who grew up in Chile, from Arica to Punta Arenas, what they drank after school and many will say leche con plátano. It is made in a blender in two minutes, usually at onces, the late-afternoon tea, alongside marraqueta rolls with butter or avocado, and it is the first thing many children learn to make by themselves. It is pale, foamy and thick enough to leave a moustache, tasting simply of sweet ripe banana and cold milk, sometimes with a pinch of cinnamon. The common mistake is making it ahead: within half an hour the banana turns the milk greyish-beige and the foam collapses, so blend it just before drinking. It is ready when it is completely smooth, light and frothy, with no banana lumps at the bottom of the jug. Use bananas with a few brown freckles: they are sweet enough that you may need little or no sugar. Chef's tip: slice and freeze overripe bananas, then blend them straight from the freezer; the drink comes out icy and extra thick without any ice.
Huevos a la copaSoft-boiled eggs in a glass
In Chilean homes, huevos a la copa are a weekday breakfast and a sick-day comfort: eggs boiled until the whites are just set and the yolks still runny, then scooped out of their shells into a small glass (the copa), broken up with a spoon, salted and eaten with warm marraqueta for dipping. The common mistake is timing from cold water, which makes the result unpredictable; lower the eggs into water that is already boiling. Runny yolks are not suitable for pregnant people, young children, older or vulnerable people; for them, boil the eggs for 9–10 minutes until fully set. If you need it gluten free, serve with gluten-free bread. Chef's tip: a tiny knob of butter stirred into the hot egg in the glass makes it silky.
Reform tortaWalnut meringue chocolate cake
Belgrade pastry shops have sold reform torta since the early twentieth century, and it is still the cake Serbian families bring out for birthdays, weddings and the slava. Three thin layers of walnut meringue, crisp at the edge and chewy inside, are stacked with a dense chocolate butter cream made with egg yolks cooked over steam until thick. It is very rich, so cut thin slices and serve with strong coffee. The usual slip is beating the butter into a chocolate mixture that is still warm, which melts it and splits the cream; let it cool to room temperature first. Chef's tip: assemble the cake the day before; overnight in the fridge the meringue softens a little and the cake slices cleanly with a hot knife.