Fluffy Vanilla Slice
Also called vanilla slice, custard slice, custard square
Puff pastry around an egg custard lightened with whipped cream and set with gelatin, closer to a mousse than a traditional dense vanilla slice.
- Makes
- 9 squares
Ingredients
Amounts are for the recipe. Sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.
Pastry
Custard filling
Passionfruit coconut icing (optional)
Amounts worked out from the other system are rounded.
Method
Pastry
Heat the oven to 220°C (440°F) and line two trays with parchment. Dock each sheet of pastry all over with a fork. Bake 15 minutes, until golden and crisp on the base. Cool completely.
Line the base and sides of a 20 cm (8 inch) square tin with parchment, leaving an overhang to lift by. Trim each pastry sheet to fit the tin and set one in the bottom.
Custard
Custard base. Heat the milk (600 ml2½ cups) until almost boiling. Whisk the egg yolks (6) and sugar (300 g1½ cups) together, then whisk in the cornstarch (28 g4 tbsp). Add the hot milk a little at a time, whisking constantly, then return everything to the saucepan. Stir over low to medium heat until thick and coating the back of a spoon. Stir in the vanilla bean paste (1 tbsp). Transfer to a bowl, press plastic wrap onto the surface and cool completely.
Gelatin. Sprinkle the gelatin (2½ tbsp) over the water (125 ml½ cup) in a wide, shallow bowl and leave it until set and wrinkled. Microwave 20 seconds, until liquid. Cool 1 to 2 minutes, then stir it into the cooled custard. The two must be about the same temperature, or you get lumps.
Lighten. Whip the cream (500 ml2 cups) to thick peaks. Fold the custard into the whipped cream until fluffy and cohesive. Pour into the tin over the pastry base and smooth the top. Set the second pastry sheet on top and chill at least 2 hours.
Ice and slice
Icing, if using. Blend the powdered sugar (180 g1½ cups), coconut cream (2 tbsp) and unsalted butter (45 g3 tbsp) in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the passionfruit purée (2 tbsp) by hand; blending would grind up the seeds. Spread over the top pastry and sprinkle with the shredded coconut (50 g½ cup).
Chill overnight before slicing. Cut into 9 squares with a sharp serrated knife, which gets through the pastry without crushing the custard.
Notes
- Without the icing, dust the top pastry with powdered sugar.
- Slicing. Cut the top pastry sheet into 9 squares before setting it on the custard. Then you only have to slice through custard and base.
- Moisture barrier. Brush the bottom pastry with a thin layer of melted white chocolate before pouring in the custard, especially if you are adding fruit purée.
- Don't freeze it. Thawed slices weep.
- Fruit versions. Fold 3 to 4 tbsp of strained fruit purée into the cooled custard before the cream: passionfruit, whose tartness cuts the richness best, or raspberry, mango, or rhubarb cooked down with sugar until jammy. Lemon curd works the same way. Use purée, not chunks; fresh fruit weeps overnight and makes the pastry soggy.
- Other versions. Brown butter: brown 45 g butter, strain it and whisk it into the hot custard. Salted caramel: spread a thin layer on the bottom pastry. Matcha: whisk 2 tsp into the hot custard and dust the top with matcha. Coffee: dissolve 2 tsp instant espresso in 1 tbsp hot water and whisk it into the custard before cooling.