Makes 16 pieces
2 sheets ready-rolled frozen butter puff pastry
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup custard powder
4 cups milk
60g butter
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 egg yolks, whisked
2 cups pure icing sugar
1 tbsp hot water
red food colouring
¼ cup toasted flaked almonds
icing sugar, for dusting
1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease 2 baking trays. Place a pastry sheet onto each greased baking tray. Prick pastry all over with a fork. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and crisp. Transfer pastry sheets to wire racks to cool.
2 Grease and line a 20cm- square cake pan with baking paper. Trim one sheet of pastry and place into the base of pan, flat side down.
3 Combine sugar and custard powder in a large saucepan. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly, until combined. Place pan over a medium heat and stir with a whisk until mixture comes to the boil and thickens. Continue stirring until thick.
4 Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, vanilla essence and egg yolks. Stir until well combined. Pour custard over pastry and spread evenly. Trim remaining sheet of pastry and place over custard, flat side up. Cool. Cover and refrigerate.
5 Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add hot water and stir until a smooth icing forms. Add more water if too thick until desired consistency. Colour with red food colouring. Spread over top of pastry. Sprinkle with almonds. Refrigerate until set. Remove from pan. Cut into 16 squares. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
