Vanilla Slice

Goes without saying that I would like a good vanilla slice! Thought this would be a perfect recipe to precede making macarons as it uses egg yolks, leaving the egg whites ready for aging then usage.

Vanilla Slice from spicy icecream

My version:

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed

1 1/2 (1.5) C milk
1 1/2 (1.5) C cream (35% fat)
60g unsalted butter
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 C caster sugar
1/3 C cornflour
1/2 C water
6 egg yolks

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced.

2. Trim each piece of puff pastry to slightly bigger than the slice tin you are using.

3. Place on baking trays lined with non-stick baking paper.

4. Top each piece with another baking tray as a weight and bake for 35 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool on racks.

5. To make the custard, place milk, cream and vanilla seeds and vanilla extract in a medium sized saucepan and heat until just before boiling point.

6. Turn off the heat, cover, and allow to infuse for 10-20 minutes.

7. After it is infused, add butter and sugar and cook until hot but not boiling.

8. Mix the cornflour and water to a smooth paste in a small bowl and then whisk it into the hot milk mixture.

9. Add the egg yolks and stir, allowing to simmer for 6 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.

10. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

11. Line your slice pan with non-stick baking paper. Place one of the pastry sheets on the bottom, pour in the custard and top with remaining pastry.

12. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set. Cut into squares using a serrated knife. Dust with icing sugar and serve.

 Verdict
This all went smoothly until I added the egg yolks and some of it ended up 'cooking' so there was a small amount of egg pieces that I had to spend time picking out. Next time I might try to add the eggs and sugar to the cornflour mix first. That or at least make sure I'm whisking as I add the yolks. I thought this was a sure sign that I'd stuffed up but the slice was actually really good! The custard set nicely and had a nice texture (although possibly a little softer than store bought ones). The pastry was nice. I didn't rotate the baking trays while cooking them so one was less browned. It softened and became almost rubbery so it was hard to slice after a day or two in the fridge, hence why spicy icecream recommended eating this on the day you make it. I still thought the taste was fine though. Will make this again for sure.


So today was the second time I attempted macarons. I used syrup and tangs recipe. I failed - the mix was a bit too runny, I piped them too big and they didn't develop nice 'feet'. I'll try again tomorrow or Friday with my remaining 3 egg whites.