Recognise it? It’s the plane passenger’s constant dilemma: whether to remain tight-lipped throughout your flight or chat amiably to the person next to you. Well some months back I opted for chatting – very amiably – and you, dear readers, are the beneficiaries.

So Bill talked very affectionately about his bakery in Mentone, Victoria. And how he had been there for 50 years, building up a fine business with his beautiful wife, Betty. He told many baking anecdotes and, indeed, among the most interesting, was why he was travelling to Sydney. He was entering his apple pie and shortbread biscuits in the Baking Industry Association’s National Baking Competition! And casually sitting above our heads in the luggage rack – just like any other piece of hand luggage – were two boxes, one with the best-looking apple pie I’ve ever seen and one full of shortbread biscuits.

Bill had picked up the odd prize for meat pies. ‘But I was really sticking my neck out entering the cakes division,’ he said, with a surprising tone of sadness in his voice as he added, ‘Since Betty passed away, it’s not quite as exciting doing this sort of thing.’ Though he was still chipper about his chances.

Then I asked him what his favourite recipe was – trying to wheedle the best baker’s secret I could out of him. Quickly he retorted, ‘Our vanilla slices’. ‘Oh, snot blocks!’ I exclaimed, not that we would ever say that in the magazine! So would he give me the recipe? ‘Sure,’ he said. But we had to disembark and before he could write it down some grumpy passenger behind us moved us on.

Now just last week, a big envelope arrived with two 2nd place certificates – Bill’s win for both his apple pie and his biscuits! And as well as that, in a very tidy handwritten note, his recipe for French vanilla slice. So here goes, readers, let me know how yours turn out and I’ll pass it on to the man himself!

• 2 sheets puff pastry (buy at supermarket), bake until light brown for about 10 mins at 180°c.
• 100g cold-setting custard powder; 100ml fresh cream; 200ml milk. Mix on high speed for 4 mins.
• Spread on 1 sheet of pastry. Put other sheet on top. Dust with icing sugar.

A very tasty slice.

Congratulations Bill! And there’s vanilla slices going down at my place.