← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 500 g all-butter puff pastry (block or 2 ready-rolled sheets)
• 600 ml whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 120 g caster sugar
• 60 g Cornflour (cornstarch)
• 2 tbsp Custard powder (optional)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or bean paste
• 30 g Butter
• 200 g Icing sugar
• 2 tbsp Water
• 25 g dark chocolate, melted, to feather (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, 400°F). Roll the pastry into two 23 cm squares about 3 mm thick and set each on a lined tray. Prick all over, cover with baking paper and press flat with another tray on top.
2. Bake for 15 min, remove the top trays and paper and bake for 5–8 min more until crisp and deep golden. Cool. Trim one sheet to fit a 20 cm square tin lined with baking paper and set it in the base; trim the other to the same size.
3. For the custard, whisk the yolks, sugar, cornflour, custard powder (if using) and a splash of the milk until smooth. Heat the rest of the milk until steaming, whisk it in, then return to the pan.
4. Whisk over medium heat until the custard boils and becomes very thick, then keep it bubbling for 1 minute more so the cornflour is fully cooked. Off the heat, beat in the vanilla and butter.
5. Pour the hot custard over the pastry base, smooth it and lay the second sheet on top, smooth side up, pressing gently. Cool, then chill for at least 4 hours until completely set.
6. Mix the icing sugar with the water to a thick, spreadable icing and spread over the top. Pipe thin lines of melted chocolate and drag a skewer through for a feathered finish, if you like. Let it set, then cut into 9 squares with a serrated knife.

Tips

• The custard must be thick enough to hold a line before you pour it, or the slices will ooze.
• Saw gently through the top pastry first, then press straight down to keep neat edges.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food BBC Food