Vanilla Slice Food

VANILLA SLICE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Unfold puff pastry sheets, and place flat onto baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Set aside.
• Combine the sugar, custard powder and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Mix in just enough milk to form a paste, then gradually mix in the rest. This will prevent lumps from forming. Add the butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until thick. You may need to use a whisk to ensure a smooth consistency. When the mixture comes to a simmer, cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and stir in the egg yolks and vanilla.
• Line a 9 inch baking dish with aluminum foil. Place one of the baked pastry sheets in the bottom of the dish. Spread the custard filling in an even layer over the pastry, and top with the other sheet.
• Mix the confectioners' sugar with 1 tablespoon of milk, and a dash of vanilla to make an icing. Spread over the top of the pastry. Refrigerate until the custard layer is firm. Remove from the pan and slice.

VANILLA CUSTARD SLICES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Roll out 250g of the pastry on a sheet of baking parchment to about 25cm square. Scatter over half the almonds, then press them in very gently, dust with half the icing sugar and lay over a second sheet of baking parchment. Lift onto a baking sheet, and sit another baking sheet on top like a sandwich. Fill a few small tins with baking beans (or something similarly heavy and ovenproof, like uncooked rice). Bake for 30 mins, then have a quick peek - it will probably need another 5 mins to be well browned and crisp all over.
• Remove from the oven, take off the weights and top baking tray, then carefully lift off the top sheet of parchment and leave to cool. Repeat with the remaining pastry - you can do both sheets at once if you have enough baking sheets and tins, but they might not cook as evenly with two in the oven, so it is safer to do one at a time. Cool both completely.
• Put the gelatine in a bowl of cold water to soften, then put the remaining custard ingredients in a big saucepan. Set over a low heat to start, whisking continuously to mix well, then increase the heat a little until the custard is gently boiling. Keep whisking the whole time - the custard will thicken and lump unevenly, but keep cooking and whisking until it is smooth and very thick.
• Remove the custard from the heat and take out the vanilla pod. Squeeze out the water from the gelatine sheet, then stir it into the custard until it has dissolved.
• Line the base and sides of a 20cm square tin with baking parchment - criss-crossing two big strips will give you the neatest corners. Using a big, sharp knife and a ruler - or the base of your tin if it is removable - trim one pastry sheet to a shade under a 20cm square, so it will sit inside the tin, almond-side down. Spread over the custard as evenly as you can. Trim the second pastry sheet in the same way, but then divide the square into eight 10 x 5cm rectangles (so it will be easier when you cut the slices later). Sit them on top of the custard, almond-side up, putting them back together a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. Gently press down on the pastry so it doesn't break but sticks to the custard, then cover and chill for 4 hrs or so, but better still overnight.
• To serve, lift the slice from the tin and cut all the way through where the pastry top is already cut. Dust the slices with a little more icing sugar and serve. Best eaten within 24 hours, when the pastry is still good and crisp.

VANILLA SLICE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to hot (200 degrees celsius, fan-forced).
• Grease and line a square cake tin with baking paper (approx 20 x 20cm). Leave sides of baking paper longer so you can lift slice out using the paper.
• Cut two frozen puff pastry sheets so they are just a little larger than the cake tin.
• Grease and line two baking trays with baking paper. Place a puff pastry square on each tray and then add another layer of baking paper on top of the pastry square.
• Place another baking tray on top of each tray (to flatten the pastry during the baking process) and place in the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
• Allow to cool and then place one sheet of puff pastry into the prepared cake tin. Trim the sides a little with a sharp knife to fit if necessary.
• Prepare custard filling by combining dessert mix, milk and cream. Whisk until mixture thickens.
• Pour custard mix into the cake tin on top of the first pastry layer and smooth out evenly using the back of a metal spoon. Place the second pastry sheet on top of the custard mixture and press down gently. Place into fridge for half an hour.
• Combine icing sugar, butter, half of the boiling water and pink food colouring. Whisk to combine and continue adding water gradually until you have a mixture that's just runny enough to pour.
• Pour icing over top of slice and smooth out evenly with a butter knife. Place slice back in fridge to set for another half hour.
• When set, ease the entire slab of slice from the tin using the overhanging paper. Slice into 9 squares using a sharp serrated knife.
• Store in the fridge for up to three days.

EASY CHEAT'S VANILLA SLICE RECIPE

Steps:

• Pour the milk and cream into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the vanilla instant dessert mix and beat until thick and creamy (around 1-2 mins).
• Line a square baking dish with baking paper and place a 3x3 grid of SAO biscuits into the tray. Pour whipped dessert mix into the centre, gently pressing it out towards the edges and smoothing out the top as you go.
• Top with another 3x3 grid of SAO biscuits. Pop in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
• Sprinkle with icing sugar, then cut into slices by gently running a knife between the biscuits.

VANILLA SLICE - KREMPITA

Steps:

• Pastry:.
• Let the puff pastry sheets thaw, the roll them out on a lightly floured surface, and bake according to directions on a jelly roll pan.
• Let them cool, and then cut out the shape according to the size of the square pan - 9 inch x 13 inch.
• Once you cut them to the shape of the pan, cut one sheet into squares (I made 12); that will be the top of the cake.
• Cream:
• Mix egg yolks with sugar, until frothy. Add a cup of milk (out of the 6 1/3 cups), and corn starch, and mix well. Set the reminder of milk with vanilla sugar added, to boil, and when it comes to a boil, slowly mix in the yolk mixture, and stir constantly for a minute. Transfer to a large mixing bowl, and let cool completely. When cooled, add the whipped whipping cream, whipped with a stabilizer.
• Put the whole sheet on the bottom of the pan, and spread the filling over it. Arrange the cut out sheet on top.
• Refrigerate for few hours.
• Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

CUSTARD SLICE

Steps:

• In a large bowl mix the flour and salt together. Rub in a third of the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Then roughly rub in the remaining butter, leaving large lumps.
• Add the water a little at a time until the pastry just binds together (you may not need all the water).
• Tip the pastry out onto a floured work surface. Roll into a narrow rectangle about 2.5cm/1in thick.
• With the pastry vertically in front of you fold the bottom third of the pastry up onto the middle third then the top third down onto the other thirds. This is called a turn.
• Wrap the pastry in cling film and place in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes
• Take out of fridge and with a rolling pin roll out again into a narrow rectangle and repeat the turn as before.
• Chill again and repeat the rolling and turning once more, so a total of three times. Wrap the pastry in cling film and return to the fridge to rest.
• While the pastry is resting, make the crème pâtissière. Pour the milk into a pan and add the split vanilla pod and its seeds. Bring the milk mixture to the boil, then remove from the heat.
• Whisk the sugar, egg yolks and cornflour together in a large bowl.
• Pour out a little of the hot milk onto the egg mixture, whisking continuously. Whisk in the rest of the hot milk until well-combined, then return to the pan.
• Cook the mixture over a gentle heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture becomes thick. It will just come to the boil.
• Remove from the heat and pass the mixture through a sieve into a clean bowl. Add the butter and stir until melted and thoroughly combined.
• Leave to cool, cover with clingfilm and then chill before using.
• Pre-heat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Line two baking trays with baking parchment.
• Divide the pastry into two equal pieces and roll out both pieces to 20cm/8in square and 5mm/¼in thick. Then place each pastry sheet onto the lined baking trays, and chill for 10-15 minutes.
• Bake the pastry sheets for 10-15 minutes or until golden-brown and crisp. Set aside to cool.
• While the pastry bakes, line a deep 23cm/9in square baking tray with foil with plenty of extra foil at the sides. The extra foil allows you to lift out the assembled slices.
• Place one pastry sheet in bottom of the lined baking tray. (Reserve the prettiest piece for the top.)
• Spread the crème pâtissière evenly onto the pastry in the baking tray before placing other piece of pastry, on top. Refrigerate while making the icing.
• For the icing, sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Stir in cold water until thoroughly combined and set aside.
• Transfer the melted chocolate into a piping bag fitted with a small plain nozzle, and set aside to firm up slightly.
• Take the custard slice from the fridge and spread the icing over the top layer of pastry.
• Using the piping bag, draw ten parallel lines along the top of the icing in one direction. Using a tooth pick, pull parallel lines about 2.5cm/1in across the melted chocolate and icing in alternating directions to create a feathered effect.
• Place the slice back into the fridge to set.
• Cut the finished vanilla slice into eight pieces.
• Using the foil carefully lift the portioned vanilla slices out of the tray and place onto a serving platter.

VANILLA SLICE

Steps:

• Line a 23cm square slab pan with foil, bring foil up to overlap sides of pan.
• Place pastry sheets on lightly greased oven trays.
• Bake in a hot oven about 6 minutes, or until well browned.
• Cool.
• Gently flatten pastry with hand.
• Fit 1 pastry sheet in prepared pan.
• Combine sugar, cornflour and custard powder in pan.
• Gradually stir in milk. Stir until smooth.
• Add butter and stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens.
• Simmer, stirring, about 3 minutes or until very thick and smooth.
• Remove from heat and stir in yolks and essence.
• Pour hot custard over pastry in pan.
• Top with remaining sheet of pastry, flat side up.
• Press down slightly.
• Cool.
• Spread pastry with passionfruit icing.
• Cut when set.
• FOR THE ICING:.
• Sift icing sugar into small heat-proof bowl.
• Stir in butter, passionfruit juice and enough water to make a stiff paste.
• Stir icing over hot water until spreadable.
• Recipe can be made a day ahead.
• Store covered in refrigerator.
• Do not freeze or microwave.

VANILLA SLICE

Steps:

• Method
• Pre-heat the oven to 200° C (400° F - Gas 6)
• Leave the pastry at room temperature for a little while before rolling
• Cut the contents of packet in half and roll out each piece into 30 cm squares
• Place each square on an un-greased baking tray and stab all over with the tines/prongs of a fork to lessen the chance of it rising too much
• Bake for about 10 minutes or until browned
• Carefully trim each sheet to about 23 cm square and pat any risen areas back down with your hands
• Line a 23 cm square baking tray with tin-foil and allow plenty of overlap for easy removal
• Place one sheet of the pastry in the foil
• Add the sugar, cornflour and custard powder to a cold saucepan, add a little milk and combine to a paste
• Whisk in the remaining milk and mix well
• Add the butter, heat the pan and gently bring to the boil, stirring often
• Reduce the heat, stir in the vanilla essence and simmer for 3 minutes to thicken
• Whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl and then whisk into the pan
• Pour the hot custard over the first piece of puff pastry, cover with the second sheet and pat down so it comes into contact with the custard everywhere
• Lemon icing
• Beat the lemon juice and zest in with the butter. It may help to microwave the butter for a few seconds to soften first
• Beat in the icing sugar and add a little water if needed
• Allow the sandwich to cool then spread the icing evenly over the top
• Chill in the refrigerator