Paul has been making custard slices like these since he worked in his Dad’s bakery. This classic recipe features crisp, buttery rough puff pastry, and a lemony custard filling. The marbled fondant topping adds a simple but sleek decorative finish.
Makes:
6
Difficulty:
Needs skill
Baking Time:
25 mins
- Ingredients
- Method
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Method
Step 1
Heat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan/475°F/Gas 9.
Step 2
For the cheat’s rough puff pastry, mix the flour and salt together in a bowl. Rub in the chilled butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add enough cold water to form a dough (about 6 tablespoons).
Step 3
On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle (approx. 15cm x 40cm).
Step 4
Scatter half of the frozen butter over the bottom two-thirds of the dough. Fold down the top third and fold up the bottom third as if folding a letter.
Step 5
Turn the folded dough by 90 degrees and roll it out into a rectangle again. Repeat the process of adding the remaining frozen butter and fold as before.
Step 6
Wrap the dough in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge while you make the custard.
Step 7
For the custard, pour the milk into a pan. Add the vanilla paste, lemon peel and 30g of the sugar. Bring just to the boil, then take off the heat.
Step 8
Whisk the egg yolks, remaining 30g caster sugar and cornflour together in a bowl. Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture whisking continuously. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring continuously until the custard thickens. Cook over a low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook out the flour.
Step 9
Remove from the heat and pass through a sieve into a bowl, then beat in the butter until smooth. Pour into a 26cm x 17cm rectangular ceramic dish and cover the surface with cling film. Leave to cool for 5 minutes then chill in the fridge for 40 minutes until set.
Step 10
Remove the dough from the fridge, and roll to form a rectangle (approx. 15cm x 40cm). Fold down the top third and fold up the bottom third as if folding a letter.
Step 11
Roll the pastry to a large rectangle measuring approx. 35cm x 25cm, about ½ cm thick. Place the pastry onto a baking sheet and chill for 10-15 minutes.
Step 12
Place a second baking sheet over the rolled-out pastry and bake for 25 minutes, until golden-brown and crisp. Remove from the oven, remove the top baking sheet and leave to cool.
Step 13
For the icing, on a work surface lightly dusted with cornflour, roll each piece of coloured fondant into a long rope approximately 15cm in length. Twist the 3 ropes together then flatten with a rolling pin and twist again to create a marble effect.
Step 14
Roll out the fondant to a rectangle measuring 15cm x 23cm, then cut out 6 rectangles each measuring 10cm x 4.5cm.
Step 15
When the pastry has cooled, cut out 12 rectangles, each measuring 10cm x 4.5cm.
Step 16
Turn the set custard out of the dish, and with a wet knife cut into 6 rectangles each measuring 10cm x 4.5cm.
Step 17
Place 6 pastry rectangles on the work surface and brush lightly with sugar syrup. Place the custard slabs on top of each pastry rectangle. Brush the top of the custard lightly with sugar syrup, then sandwich with the remaining pastry rectangles.
Step 18
To decorate, brush sugar syrup over the top of pastry rectangles and stick the fondant rectangles to the pastry. Lightly brush with sugar syrup to glaze the fondant icing.