Vanilla Slice ~ the prelude

It's always very daunting for me when I make custard, it's just way too easy to over cook the custard and have it curdled. Since I've never made vanilla slice before, I thought I ought to at least use the custard powder as my first attempt before using real egg yolks. Surprising, I really love the taste of this vanilla slice! :D

Ingredients:
2 sheets puff pastry
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (75g) cornflour
1/4 cup (30g) custard powder
2 1/2 cups (625ml) milk
30g butter
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract though I think vanilla paste or vanilla pods are much much better!
3/4 cup (180ml) thicken cream

Passionfruit icing
1 1/2 cups (240g) icing sugar
1 teaspoon soft butter
1/4 cup (60ml) passionfruit pulp (about 3 passionfruit)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 220C
Grease deep 23cm-square cake pa; line with baking paper extending paper 10cm over sides of pan.

2. Place each pastry sheet on separate greased oven trays. Bake 15 minutes; cool. Flatter pastry, put one pastry sheet in pan, trim to fit.

3. Combine sugar, cornflour and custard powder in pan; gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Add butter, stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens. Simmer, stirring, 3 minutes or until thick and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in egg yolk and extract. Cover custard with plastic wrap; cool.

4. Make passionfruit icing: Stir ingredients in heatproof bowl over pan of simmering water until icing is spreadable.

5. Beat cream in small bowl with electric mixer until firm peaks form. Fold cream into custard, in two batches. Spread custard mixture over pastry in pan. Top with remaining pastry, trim to fit; press down slightly. Spread pastry with icing; refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Enjoy ;D