Custard Slice with Sour Cherries. Make your favourite slice at home with this simple recipe.
Serves 12
2 ready made puff pastry sheets
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups pouring cream
80g butter, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2/3 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup (75g) cornflour, mixed with 1/2 cup water
6 free-range egg yolks
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
Fresh cherries for garnish
Cherry Filling
680g jar sour morello cherries, juice drained and reserved
Extra 1/3 cup caster sugar
Extra 1 tablespoon cornflour mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and paper line 2 baking trays. Place the pastry sheets on top. Place extra sheets of baking paper on top of the pastry, place baking trays on top of pastry, to weight down. Cook the pastry for 20-25 minutes or until golden and crisp. Allow to cool completely.
To make the cherry filling place cherries, 1/3 cup of the reserved juice, and extra caster sugar into a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Stir cornflour mixture into the into the cherries and cook for 1 minute thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature
Grease and paper line the base and sides of a 20cm square tin. Extend the paper over the sides, as this will help you remove the slice from the tin once it is set. Using the tin as a guide, trim the cooked pastry sheets to fit. Place one of the pastry sheets into the base of the tin. then spoon the cherries onto the base.
Pour the milk and cream into a medium- sized heavy-based saucepan, adding the butter, vanilla and caster sugar. Stir over medium heat to dissolve the sugar and to bring to ‘just boiling’. Remove from the heat. Whisk the cornflour mixture into the milk mixture, along with egg yolks. Return mixture to the heat, stirring continuously over low heat for a further minute or until thickened.
Be careful not to overcook at this stage, as this may cause the custard to split. Pour custard over the pastry base and cherry filling and top with remaining pastry sheet, pressing down gently.
Place in the fridge for 4-6 hours, or until firmly set. Chilling overnight is ideal where possible.
To make cherry icing for the slice, sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add in 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved cherry juice to make a soft, spreadable glaze. Spread over the pastry and allow to set in the fridge for 30 minutes before slicing. Alternatively, simply dust with some icing sugar before garnishing with cherries and serving.
TIPS:
– When making the custard, use a balloon whisk to stir to remove any lumps. The custard will all of a sudden thicken.
