SLICE OF
HEAVEN
Funny now I think of it, but my husband, Kevin, has a fair bit in common with Jeff Kennett. Not only can he do a great impersonation of our former Premier, he’s also obsessed with vanilla slices.
You may remember that the Annual Great Australian Vanilla Slice competition was the brainchild of Jeff Kennett. So passionate was he about the creamy custard treat, he created a contest to find the best vanilla slice in the land (genius, really, seeing as he got to judge it himself!)
Well Kevin is equally as passionate (not to mention UNBELIEVABLY FUSSY about his vanilla slices. He prefers to call them “snot blocks”, and I can tell you he would walk through flames or crawl across broken glass to find one that’s up to his very lofty standards.
The only trouble with vanilla slices is that they’re notoriously difficult to make. You want feather-light, flaky pastry and a custard that holds its shape without losing any of its creamy texture.
And after a couple of stress-inducing attempts, I think I’ve nailed it. Pictured is my latest batch, the custard made from scratch, using Donna Hay’s vanilla slice recipe.
But I’ve also seen great results using a vanilla pudding mix, or lattice biscuits instead of puff pastry sheets. Has anyone tried either of these methods? Do you have your own fail-safe vanilla slice recipe? I’d love to hear about it.
