Vanilla slice is one of Australia’s favourite sweet treats and it’s not as daunting to make as it may seem. This clever recipe helps you get that crispy, flakey pastry with minimal effort and delicious results.

Ingredients

• 4 sheets of ready-rolled frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• ¾ cup custard powder
• ½ cup cornflour
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups thickened cream
• 60g butter, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 egg yolks
• pure icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1. Place a flat baking tray into the oven and preheat the oven and tray to 220°C no fan/200°C fan-forced.
2. Place 1 sheet of pastry onto a sheet of baking paper, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of white sugar and gently roll into the pastry with a rolling pin. Top with the second sheet of pastry, sprinkle with another tablespoon of sugar and gently roll into the pastry.
3. Working quickly, lift the pastry, still on the baking paper, onto the hot tray. Top with a sheet of baking paper, then place another tray on top. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the top tray and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and place the second tray on top of the cooked pastry and gently press to condense the pastry layers. Remove the pastry to a wire rack, and repeat with the remaining pastry and sugar.
4. Line a deep, 22cm base cake pan with baking paper, allowing a 2cm overhang on all four sides. Use a serrated knife to trim 1 pastry square and ease it into the base of the pan.
5. Combine the custard powder, cornflour and caster sugar in a bowl. Add the milk and cream, whisking until smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the butter and vanilla and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes or until custard comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the egg yolks. Pour the hot custard over the pastry. Trim the remaining pastry and place it over the hot custard, pressing gently to secure it. Set aside for 1 hour to cool, then refrigerate for 3–4 hours or until cold.
7. Lift the vanilla slice out of the pan and remove the paper. Dust heavily with icing sugar and cut into pieces to serve.