Vanilla slice with caramelised pastry and passionfruit

Name: Vanilla slice with caramelised pastry and passionfruit
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: about 12
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 375g sheet all-butter puff pastry (I used Careme), defrosted in the fridge; 3 heaped tbsp caster sugar

Katrina Meynink

January 9, 2025

Time:2 hours +Serves:about 12

So many atrocities of this classic (aka the snot block) are out there. Stay safe and make your own – you will be rewarded with a thing of beauty.

The key is to ditch the cornflour that so many recipes call for. It’s like eating the inside of your primary school tidy tray with a mouthfeel of chalk and clag glue.

You need egg yolks, gelatin, a whisk and a little elbow grease. And you must caramelise your puff pastry first − this is of dire importance to add the requisite textural contrast to the centre.

Note: If you have four flat baking trays, you can bake both pastry pieces at once, just swap oven shelves midway through cooking so they colour evenly.

You can gussy up the passionfruit drizzle any way you like. I scattered elderflowers over the top, but you could also strew finely sliced makrut lime leaves – different in flavour, but equally delightful.

Ingredients

375g sheet all-butter puff pastry (I used Careme), defrosted in the fridge
3 heaped tbsp caster sugar

Vanilla centre

1½ sheets titanium-strength gelatin
500ml milk
375ml pouring cream
70g unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
145g caster sugar
7 egg yolks

Passionfruit drizzle

juice and pulp of 2 passionfruit (scant ¼ cup)
150g icing sugar
edible flowers to scatter (optional)

Method

For the vanilla centre

Step 1
Line a 34cm x 24cm baking/roasting tin with cling film, allowing plenty of overhang on all sides. Bloom the gelatin in a bowl of icy cold water until soft, then discard the excess water.
Step 2
Bring milk, cream, butter and vanilla just to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl to combine. Pour the warm milk mixture into the bowl, whisking continuously, then return to the pan and whisk until thick (4-5 minutes). Whisk in the bloomed gelatin until fully incorporated, then pour the custard into your lined tin and pop in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight, to set.

For the pastry

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional).
Step 2
Roll out your piece of puff pastry on a sheet of baking paper. Cut the pastry sheet in half vertically down the centre, so you have two even rectangles (27cm x 18cm each). Place each sheet on a flat baking tray lined with baking paper. Working with one sheet at a time, use a fork to prick the pastry all over – this helps it to rise evenly, so don’t skip this step. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush with some water and scatter half the caster sugar over. Repeat with the second pastry piece.
Step 3
Cook in the oven for 20 minutes then remove from the oven. Working carefully, as it is still hot, place another piece of baking paper on top of the pastry. Place another flat baking tray over the top, then flip the whole thing over. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove the top tray and piece of baking paper and cook for another few minutes or until the pastry sheet looks superbly golden and caramelised. Then repeat with the remaining pastry sheet. Allow the pastry to cool to the touch, at least 15 minutes, before assembling.

To assemble

Step 1
Place one of the baked pastry sheets directly onto the surface of the custard, then place a chopping board on top. Invert the board and the tray containing the custard. Using the overhang of cling film, gently guide the tray away from the custard. Remove the plastic wrap and top the custard with the second pastry sheet.
Step 2
To make the passionfruit drizzle, combine the passionfruit juice and pulp in a bowl with the icing sugar. Stir with a fork to combine. Drizzle over the top of the vanilla slice and scatter with flowers if using. To serve, slice with a serrated knife.

The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.