Homes

Vanilla slice

Preparation time | 25 minutes + cooling
Cooking time | 40 minutes
Makes | 24 bars

Ingredients
2 sheets puff pastry
1 eggwhite, beaten
300g caster sugar
1L milk
12 egg yolks
85g cornflour
2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped
2 cups icing mixture
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp passionfruit pulp

Method:
1 | Preheat oven to 200°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Line a 27 x 18cm slice pan with baking paper. Brush pastry sheets with eggwhite and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Put 1 sheet on each prepared tray. Top each with a sheet of baking paper. Put a wire rack on top of each, then bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool, then cut each to fit prepared pan.
2 | Heat milk in a large saucepan on high. Bring to the boil. Put yolks, cornflour, remaining sugar and vanilla seeds in a large bowl and whisk well, then pour in milk. Stir well, pour back into the pan and return to the heat. Cook, whisking, until mixture thickens.
3 | Put 1 sheet of pastry in prepared pan, using offcut pastry pieces, if necessary, to line base. Pour custard mixture over pastry. Immediately put second pastry sheet on top. Cool until firm to touch.
4 | Put icing mixture and butter in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add passionfruit pulp and whisk until smooth. Pour over slice, then set aside until a crust forms. Slice carefully, then serve on the same day.

Photo by John Paul Urizar May 31, 2011