So, I am totally repulsed by chocolate at the moment (as is usual for me in early pregnancy). It’s a strange feeling as I will see chocolate and have the urge to eat it, but as soon as I smell or taste it, remember how gross it is to me right now! I’m making the most of it, as I know my chocoholic urges will hit me strong in a few months!
I am, however, loving anything creamy or buttery. Usually I couldn’t care less for cream, but now it is divine! Yesterday I made a vanilla slice in the Thermomix. Oh, it was SO good! Topped my usual vanilla slice over the stove recipe and was absolutely delicious. And 100 times easier to make in the Thermomix, as all you have to do it press a few buttons and walk away then you are left with a perfectly smooth, creamy custard filling. So, here it is. And if you don’t have a Thermomix, follow the usual method for making custard on the stove-top using the same ingredients.
2 sheets frozen puff-pastry
120g sugar
400g milk
300g cream
2 egg yolks
2tsp vanilla bean paste
40g cornflour
40g custard powder
60g butter
Preheat oven to 220 degrees celsius. Place puff pastry on baking trays and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes until just brown. Remove from oven and press down a spatula while still hot to flatten. Allow to cool.
Place sugar in TMX bowl, and grind on speed 9 for 5 seconds.
Add remaining ingredients and cook on 80 degrees for 15 minutes at speed 4. Have a taste of the custard and if it tastes too floury, cook for another 5 minutes at 80 degrees.
Increase temperature to 100 degrees and cook for 7 minutes at speed 4.
Line a 25cm square tin with baking paper, so that it extends up all four sides of the tin.
Trim pastry sheet to fit the bottom of the tin, and place in the tin with browned side facing up.
Pour custard over pastry, spreading it out nice and smooth.
Trim remaining pastry sheet to fit top of the tin and place on top of custard with browned side facing down.
Refrigerate for 4-5 hours until completely cold (you can pop it in the freezer for the first 30-40 minutes to speed up the chilling process but don’t forget to take it out and place in the fridge.)
Spread top of slice with icing made from a little melted butter, icing sugar and hot water. Allow to set before removing slice from tin, cutting into slices and serving.
Makes 16 large squares.
