Custard Cream Slices

Quick puff pastry

Plain flour 250 g
Chilled margarine 150 g
Salt ½ tsp
Cold water 150 ml
Method
1. Cut the margarine into small pieces.
2. Sieve the flour with the salt.
3. Mix together all of the ingredients without totally breaking down the margarine. This will
enable the margarine to work its way into the pastry while it is being rolled.
4. When the dough is made, roll and fold and turn as for classic puff pastry (chef will explain).
the pastry needs to be rolled and turned 3 times, resting it for 10 minutes between each turn.
5. Once your puff pastry is ready, roll it out so that it is evenly but quite thin. Cut into
rectangles 20cmx15cm (8 inchesx6 inches)
6. Prick with a fork. Transfer to a lightly greased baking tray.
7. place a wire rack over the top of the pastry and put in the oven to bake.
8. Once the pastry has cooked, take the wire rack off the top and allow the pastry to cool.

If you are unsure about making your quick puff pastry look at the recipe for savoury turnovers as
there is more detail there.

Crème Patisserie
Egg Yolks 8 16 32
Sugar 250 gm 500 gm 1k
Flour 100 gm 200 gm 400 gm
Milk 1 Lt 2 Lt 4 Lt
Vanilla To taste
Method
1. Put the milk on to boil with half the sugar.
2. Mix the egg yolk with the flour and the remaining sugar until a smooth creamy
consistency is achieved. (Do not leave the eggs sitting on the sugar as they will burn
and your crème patisserie will become lumpy.)
3. When the milk has boiled pour half onto the egg mix and stir until smooth then tip the
mix back into the saucepan and stir continually back to the boil.
4. Cook the mix out for 5 minuets stirring continually.
5. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla.
6. Tip the mix out onto a buttered tray and cover with cling film to prevent a skin from
forming.
7. Allow to cool before using.
8. Once the cream is cold, beat it to make sure it is smooth and place in a piping bag ready
to use.
Putting the vanilla slice together

1. Cut the cooked pastry sheet in half down its length and put one half to one side.
2. Take the crème pâtissière and pipe on top of the remaining half. Repeat a second
time so that there is a good layer of custard on top of the first layer of pastry.
3. Place the second piece of pastry on top of the custard and press down slightly so
that it is well attached.
4. Place in the fridge and allow to set while you prepare your icing.

Pastry

Crème pâtissière

Pastry

The icing
Icing sugar
Lemon juice
Boiling water
Melted chocolate
Method
1. Boil the water and add the lemon juice.
2. Mix into icing sugar adding only enough to create a really thick icing. Cool slightly but
do not allow to skin.
3. Pour the icing onto the top layer of puff pastry and spread out so that it is evenly spread
but be careful not to pick up pieces of pastry in the icing.
4. Using a piping bag make lines across the top of the icing with the melted chocolate.
They should be about 1-1½ cm apart.
5. Using a knife pull through the icing and chocolate. Repeat every 2½ cm apart. Now
turn the cake around and repeat between the gaps.
Leave to set before cutting the vanilla slices into portions.