VANILLA SLICE

PREP + COOK TIME 55 MINUTES (+ COOLING
& REFRIGERATION) MAKES 16 PIECES

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
½ cup (110g) caster sugar
½ cup (75g) cornflour
¼ cup (30g) custard powder
2½ cups (625ml) milk
30g unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (180ml) thickened cream

PASSIONFRUIT ICING
1½ cups (240g) icing sugar
1 teaspoon softened butter
¼ cup (60ml) passionfruit pulp

1 Preheat oven to 240°C/220°C fan.

Grease a deep 22cmsquarecake pan;

line with foil, extending foil 10cm

over sides of pan.

2 Place each pastry sheet on a

separate greased oven tray. Bake for

15 minutes; cool. Flatten pastry with

hand; place onepastry sheet in pan,

trim to fit if necessary.

3 Combine sugar, cornflour and

custard powder in a medium

saucepan; gradually stir in milk

until smooth. Add butter; stir over

medium heat for 3 minutes or until

mixture boils. Reduce heat; simmer

for 3 minutes or until thick and

smooth. Remove from heat; add egg

yolk and extract. Stir to combine.

Cover surface of custard with plastic

wrap; cool to room temperature.

4 Make passionfruit icing.

5 Beat cream in a small bowl

with an electric mixer until firm

peaks form. Fold the cream into

custard, in two batches.

6 Spread the custard mixture

over pastry in pan. Top with

remaining pastry, trim to fit if

necessary; press down slightly.

Spread icing over pastry.

7 Refrigerate slice for 3 hours

or overnight.

PASSIONFRUIT ICING

Place sifted icing sugar, butter

and passionfruit pulp in a small

heatproof bowl over a small

saucepan of simmering

water for 2 minutes or

until the icing is smooth.

le,

vanilla slice – thick custard sandwiched

between layers of pastry and slathered

with icing – is loved Australia wide.

on

A SLICE OF

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On The Cover