CUSTARD SLICES WITH PUFF PASTRY

Recipe tested and photo: Debbie Griessel
I made this recipe but used pink icing to cover the top pastry. It’s delicious and the pastry is still crispy after refrigeration.

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted
⅔ cup custard powder
⅔ cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
1 liter milk
1 egg
50 g butter
Icing:
2 cups icing sugar
25 g butter, softened
4 – 5 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon cocoa
Preheat the oven to 220°C fan bake.
Line a 21 cm square tin with baking paper including up the sides.
Pastry:
Place the pastry sheets on a lined oven tray and prick all over with a fork.
Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven then remove from the oven.
Use a baking tray to firmly press the pastry down flat.
Return the pastry to the oven for a further 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven again and press down flat one more time, then leave to cool.
Custard:
In a mixing bowl combine the custard powder, sugar, vanilla and ½ a cup of milk , mix until smooth.
Crack the egg into a separate bowl with ½ a cup of milk. Whisk to combine.
Pour the remaining 3 cups of milk into a medium saucepan over a medium heat.
Add the custard mixture to the milk and bring to the boil.
Reduce to a simmer, then stir until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Add in the egg mixture and butter, stir for 2 minutes then set aside to cool.
Assemble:
Trim both pieces of the pastry to fit the tin.
Press one piece into the lined tin, pour the custard over the pastry spreading out to the edges.
Cover with the second piece of pastry, press down gently.
Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl, add the butter and boiling water, mix till smooth.
Take 3 tablespoons of icing and place in a small bowl.
Add the cocoa powder and mix to combine, add extra hot water if needed.
Place the chocolate icing in a piping bag or small snap lock bag.
Smooth the white icing over the top pastry.
Snip the corner off the piping bag creating a 1 – 2 mm opening.
Draw lines of chocolate icing across the slice then quickly use a wooden skewer and drag the tip through the lines in alternating directions.
Set in the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight.
Cut while cold with a sharp serrated bread knife sawing through the pastry.

Notes:
Use a sharp knife to cut or saw through the pastry so the custard doesn’t squash out the sides.
The custard needs to come to the boil for it to thicken, then you can reduce the heat. You will notice it thickens up a lot once it reaches boiling point, it should bubble.