Vanilla Slice | Community Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (2024)

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Introduction

An Aussie favourite, in spite of it's colloquial name of 'snot blocks'! This recipe ideally needs to be made the day before it's needed.

An Aussie favourite, in spite of it's colloquial name of 'snot blocks'! This recipe ideally needs to be made the day before it's needed.

Ingredients

Serves: 8 or 16 depending

MetricCups

  • 2 sheets puff pastry (shop-bought)
  • 250 millilitres milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 vanilla bean scraped)
  • 110 grams cornflour
  • 110 grams custard powder
  • 220 grams caster sugar
  • 750 grams thickened cream
  • 50 grams unsalted butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 230 grams icing sugar (pure)
  • 4 passionfruit (sifted pulp from)
  • 2 sheets puff pastry (shop-bought)
  • 8⅘ fluid ounces milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 vanilla bean scraped)
  • 4 ounces cornstarch
  • 4 ounces custard powder
  • 8 ounces superfine sugar
  • 26 ounces thickened cream
  • 2 ounces unsalted butter
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 8 ounces confectioners' sugar (pure)
  • 4 passionfruit (sifted pulp from)

Method

Vanilla Slice is a community recipe submitted by Coby and has not been tested by Nigella.com so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe.

  • Preheat oven to 210°C.
  • Line a 23cm square pan with aluminium foil, so that the foil comes up over the sides (this allows you to lift out the slice).
  • Place each pastry sheet on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, then bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Set aside to cool. Once cool, place 1 pastry sheet, cooked-side up, in bottom of pan. (You may need to trim it slightly to fit.)
  • Place milk in a pan over medium heat, add vanilla bean paste or scraped seeds and add bean too.
  • Warm gently, then set aside for 10 minutes.
  • Place cornflour, custard powder and caster sugar in a pan.
  • Strain milk, discarding bean, into pan with cornflour and whisk until smooth.
  • Add cream, then return to heat, stirring constantly, over low heat until the mixture thickens and boils.
  • Add butter, stirring well to combine, then remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks, one at a time, until smooth.
  • Pour into pastry-lined pan and set aside to cool slightly before placing other piece of pastry, cooked-side up, on top.
  • Place icing sugar and passionfruit in large bowl and stir until smooth and glossy. If required add the smallest amount of lemon juice or water.
  • Turn slice out onto a large chopping board and remove the foil. Spread icing over the top of the slice with the back of a spoon.
  • Set aside for 20 minutes or until icing is set. Use a serrated knife to cut the vanilla slice into pieces.
  • Preheat oven to 210°C.
  • Line a 23cm square pan with aluminium foil, so that the foil comes up over the sides (this allows you to lift out the slice).
  • Place each pastry sheet on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper, then bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Set aside to cool. Once cool, place 1 pastry sheet, cooked-side up, in bottom of pan. (You may need to trim it slightly to fit.)
  • Place milk in a pan over medium heat, add vanilla bean paste or scraped seeds and add bean too.
  • Warm gently, then set aside for 10 minutes.
  • Place cornstarch, custard powder and superfine sugar in a pan.
  • Strain milk, discarding bean, into pan with cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
  • Add cream, then return to heat, stirring constantly, over low heat until the mixture thickens and boils.
  • Add butter, stirring well to combine, then remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks, one at a time, until smooth.
  • Pour into pastry-lined pan and set aside to cool slightly before placing other piece of pastry, cooked-side up, on top.
  • Place confectioners' sugar and passionfruit in large bowl and stir until smooth and glossy. If required add the smallest amount of lemon juice or water.
  • Turn slice out onto a large chopping board and remove the foil. Spread icing over the top of the slice with the back of a spoon.
  • Set aside for 20 minutes or until icing is set. Use a serrated knife to cut the vanilla slice into pieces.
  • Additional Information

    It's important when cutting vanilla slice not to push down with the knife or the custard will ooze. Just let the knife do the work.

    It's important when cutting vanilla slice not to push down with the knife or the custard will ooze. Just let the knife do the work.

    Try This Tip

    Home-made vanilla sugar

    From Clairette
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    Asked and Answered

    How Long Will The Vanilla Sugar Last?

    From BluebelleofTheWoods
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    Tell us what you think

    What 5 Others have said

    • I'm a kiwi, and "Snotblock" is nice compared to what my dad bought me up, calling them "pus cake".

      Posted by gwoodall on 27th August 2020
    • I'm Australian born and bred, and I only knew them by the 'disgusting' term initially IAMRIVER. It wasn't until I was in secondary school that I found out their proper name of Vanilla Slice!

      Posted by Coby on 18th May 2016
    • We always called them Snot Blocks, much to our parents disgust. Grew up in Australia & all the kids in our neighbourhood called them that as well. It's not disrespect just funny kid stuff.

      Posted by miffy46 on 16th January 2016
    • It's definately known as snotbloc in Melbourne. A term of endearment for the vanilla slice.

      Posted by janaleckel on 24th November 2015
    • I am an Australian and never ever heard vanilla slices called by that disgusting name. I asked my friends and family and they were disgusted as they also have never heard the description, I think some one is having you on, it's more something like some English School kid would call something the vanilla slice is treated and named with respect down under.

      Posted by IAMRIVER on 25th October 2014

    Show more comments

    Vanilla Slice | Community Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (1)

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    Vanilla Slice | Community Recipes | Nigella's Recipes (2024)

    FAQs

    What's the difference between vanilla slice and custard slice? ›

    Not to be confused with a Custard Slice either!

    A vanilla slice is usually a very thick slab of custard sandwiched between two thin puff sheets. A mille feuille is more decorative, could have multiple custard (or diplomat cream) layers and looks very sophisticated.

    What is vanilla slice called in America? ›

    Unlike the Aussie slice with its thick layer of custard, the mille-feuille has three sheets of puff pastry and only a centimetre of crème pâtissière in between. In America, the same three-layer design is called a Napoleon, a corruption of Napoletana, referencing the origin of another version from Naples.

    Why did my vanilla slice not set? ›

    To ensure your vanilla slice sets properly, be sure to boil the custard for at least a minute, stirring constantly. Set in the fridge for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) before slicing. Find it hard to cut your vanilla slice? A perfect cut starts with perfectly set custard.

    What pastry are vanilla slices made from? ›

    Vanilla slice is an Australian pastry comprising a thick layer of vanilla custard sandwiched between puff pastry and topped with icing sugar or thinly iced.

    What is the difference between vanilla slice and custard square? ›

    Often also called Vanilla Slice in Australia, Custard square is two layers of puff pastry, surrounding a creamy, smooth custard. The whole thing is then topped off with a vanilla bean icing. It's a New Zealand Classic, and something I always used to get from the bakery growing up.

    Why is it called a snot block? ›

    The Macquarie Dictionary blog suggests that "snot block" is a regionalism that originated in central Victoria, with less frequently cited variants in other states, including "snot brick", "phlegm cake" and "pus pie".

    What is slang for vanilla slice? ›

    Slang terms abound in our vocabulary and food has not been spared the kind of humour whereby some of us call a vanilla slice a “snot block” and a pie a “rat coffin” or “maggot bag”.

    What do Aussies call vanilla slice? ›

    Australia's vanilla slice, a cherished local creation central to bakery culture in Victoria and popular at school tuckshops and rural eateries across the nation, is also known as a "snot block".

    What do Victorians call vanilla slice? ›

    The gooey treat – described as an “Australian delicacy” – is widely known as a vanilla slice except to Victorians who all known it better as a “snot block”.

    What can I use instead of lattice biscuits in vanilla slice? ›

    Tip: If you're missing Lattice biscuits (like us), then turn. to SAO biscuits or Julie's Sugar Crackers. They're a. great alternative!

    Should vanilla slice be kept in the fridge? ›

    Custard slice or vanilla slice is best eaten the day it's made because the custard will soften the puff pastry quickly. However, you can keep vanilla slice for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

    What is the best way to cut vanilla slice? ›

    Bakers shared that you should first turn the slice on its side, so that your knife is exerting most of its pressure onto the vanilla custard. The result is a perfectly halved vanilla slice with minimal mess and spillage.

    What is a vanilla slice in England? ›

    A tea-time treat of velvety custard sandwiched in crisp, flaky pastry. For the traditional bakery look, top with glacé icing and a chocolate drizzle. Makes: 10. Prep time: 30 mins. Total time: 1 hr 40 mins, plus infusing, chilling and cooling.

    What is the difference between a vanilla slice and a mille feuille? ›

    A vanilla slice is usually a very thick slab of custard sandwiched between two thin puff sheets. A mille feuille is more decorative, could have multiple custard (or diplomat cream) layers and looks very sophisticated. It is one of the simplest things you can make with a puff sheet, yet looks so elegant!

    What's the difference between French vanilla and vanilla slices? ›

    The main difference between vanilla and French vanilla is the addition of egg yolks and the custardization process. French vanilla has a richer, creamier taste and a slightly yellow color, while regular vanilla has a more basic flavor and a white or off-white color.

    Is vanilla custard the same as vanilla ice cream? ›

    Because ice cream is made in a machine that churns air into the base as it freezes, it has a lighter mouthfeel. Frozen custard is produced in a machine that incorporates as little air as possible, so it has a denser, thicker, more velvety texture than ice cream.

    What's the difference between vanilla ice cream and vanilla custard? ›

    But according to the FDA, one key difference sets the two apart: It's all about the yolks. Ice cream contains at least 10 percent milkfat and less than 1.4 percent egg yolk, while custard contains at least 10 percent milkfat but must have more than 1.4 percent egg yolk.

    Is vanilla custard the same as vanilla pudding? ›

    While most custard and pudding recipes both typically call for eggs, the main difference is that pudding uses a starch for thickening, whereas custard's thickening agent is the egg itself (or egg yolk, in most instances). Custard's texture also tends to be firmer than pudding.

    Does custard taste like vanilla? ›

    In conclusion, custard is a dessert with a delightful taste that is both rich and sweet. Its flavor profile is characterized by creamy, eggy, and vanilla notes. The texture of custard is smooth and creamy, with variations in thickness and consistency.

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