Custard Puff Pastry

Ingredients

• 250g puff pastry

Custard

• 250ml whole milk
• 6 1/4 Tablespoons (75g) caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup (50g) cornflour
• scant 1/4 cup (50g) butter
• 150ml double cream
• To decorate
• 1 1/2 cups (200g) confectioners' sugar
• 5 tbsp water
• Fresh mint leave to garnish

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 350F.
2. Roll out your pastry into a square about 5mm thick.
3. Cut this into 6cm wide strips and lay them on a lined baking tray, with about an inch space between.
4. Prick all over each piece with a fork – this will help contain the rise of the pastry.
5. Bake for about 18 – 20mins until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through. Leave to cool.

Custard

1. Add all of the ingredients into a saucepan with the exception of the butter and and whisk until combined and no lumps remain.
2. Set the pan on a medium heat, then add the butter.
3. Keep whisking over a medium heat until it reaches boiling point, which is when the custard will thicken.
4. Once very thick and smooth, strain through a fine sieve into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
5. Leave to cool and then chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

Assembly

1. Add thick spoonfuls of the cooled thick custard to half of the pastry strips.
2. Lay each of the other strips, bottom side up so you have a nice flat top, onto the custard topped pieces.
3. Be gentle and try as best as you can to not let the custard ooze out.
4. Use a butter knife to push any custard filling back in. Once assembled chill in fridge while you make the icing.
5. Mix the icing sugar and water then spread over the tops of the pastry. Chill again so the icing sets.
6. Once set, slice the lengths into portions by gently cutting through with a serrated knife.