If you're looking for a sweet treat, there isn't whatever better than a Vanilla Slice (also called snot block). This uncomplicated snack is a customary Australian popular and consists of a sandwich like crusty pastry that's filled in the middle with sweet and creamy custard. In fact there are national competitions held to recompense the best Vanilla Slice maker. While there are some variations of this delectable snack, here's a uncomplicated way to make the Vanilla slice. To begin with you need puff pastry, caster sugar, custard powder, cream, milk and vanilla.
Here's the list of ingredients:
Sheet Cake Pans Sizes
Puff Pastry -2 Sheets almost 25cm x 25cm that's ready rolled icy puff pastry
Caster Sugar -1/2 cup
Custard Powder-1/2 cup
Cream -about ½ a cup
Milk - almost about 1and ½ cups
Vanilla Essence- 1 teaspoon
Butter- about 25gms
Icing Sugar-1 and ½ cup
Begin by pre-heating the oven to about 210 deg Celsius and lining the tray with baking paper and the puff pastries (one pastry on each tray). You can bake these for about 10-15 minutes, but before you bake make sure you have pricked them with a fork. Join custard powder, sugar and cream over medium heat, moderately adding milk and vanilla. Meanwhile cut the pastry to the size of a brownie pan and layer the custard and then someone else pastry over this. The icing can be made by adding butter and icing sugar with enough hot water to make thin to medium textured icing Refrigerate this and you're Vanilla Slice are ready.
Variations to these contain adding a layer of jam that adds to the pleasure. And there are some that accentuate the flavor of the icing by combining it with passion fruit pulp. The filling is sometimes flavored with chocolate. Nobody knows for sure the origin of the dish, but it's popularly believed to be a French creation. The French call it Mille-Feuille.
Every year thousands of Vanilla Slice fans gather in Ouyen, West Victoria for the Great Australian Vanilla Slice Triumph. There are hundreds display stalls and abundance of entertainment, but the main feature remains the competition where professionals, amateurs and school entries compete with each other.
Ask any slice fan and he'll tell you that the excellent slice is one which has the excellent custard that rests in the middle of two slices of buttery puff pastries. The custard should smell of fresh eggs and should have the excellent consistency. Not too vicious and not too jelly like, and with just the right sweetness. There are some Melbourne Cakes suppliers who have mastered the art of manufacture the excellent slice. They have in fact taken this uncomplicated dish to connoisseur heights.
Vanilla Slice Recipes