Custard Square

Ingredients

Pastry

• 2 sheetsready-rolled puff pastry
• or 500 g puff pastry

Custard

• 1 litrewhole milk
• 200 gsugar
• 80 gcornflour
• 6egg yolks
• 100 gbutter
• 2 teaspoonsvanilla
• a pinch of salt

Icing

• 250 gicing sugar
• 2 tablespoonsboiling water
• 1 teaspoonbutter, melted
• a few drops of vanilla
• passionfruit pulp, optional

Equipment

• a square tin
• baking paper
• a long sharp knife

Directions

1. Roll or lay out two sheets of pastry. Cut them to fit your tin exactly. Set each on a lined baking tray. Prick them all over with a fork. Lay baking paper over the top. Set a second tray on top of that. Baking them takes about twenty minutes. Heat the oven to 200C before baking. Bake them with the tray on top. Give them about eighteen minutes.
2. Lift the top tray off carefully. Give them another three minutes to colour. Let them cool completely on a rack. Mix the cornflour with a little cold milk. Make a completely smooth paste. Whisk in the egg yolks as well. Add the sugar and whisk it smooth. Put the rest of the milk in a heavy pan. Add the pinch of salt as well. Warm it until it is well steaming. Do not let it come to a full boil.
3. Pour a ladle of hot milk into the yolk mixture. Whisk it in quickly as you pour. Add a second ladle the same way. Cold yolks in hot milk scramble instantly.
4. Set the pan over a medium heat. Whisk it constantly without stopping. Keep whisking hard as it does. Let it bubble for a full two minutes. It must be very thick indeed here. Cook it longer if it still slumps. Finishing it is done off the heat. Take the pan off the heat entirely. Beat in the butter piece by piece.
5. Beat in the vanilla extract now. Assembling it must be done while hot. Line the tin with baking paper. Leave an overhang for lifting it out. Set one pastry sheet in the base. Pour the hot custard over the top. Set the second pastry sheet on top. Press it down gently and evenly. Work fast, since the custard sets as it cools.
6. Let it cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate it for at least four hours. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the melted butter and the vanilla. Add boiling water a little at a time. Stir it into a thick smooth glaze. It should coat the back of a spoon.
7. Add passionfruit pulp for the classic version. Lift the slab out using the paper. Set it down onto a large board. Pour the icing over the top pastry. Spread it to the edges with a palette knife.
8. Let it set for about thirty minutes. Use a long and very sharp knife. Warm the blade in hot water and wipe it dry. Cut straight down in one firm movement. Do not saw the blade back and forth. Cut it into large even squares. Serving it is done properly cold.

Technique

• The puff pastry must be baked between two trays so it stays thin and flat, since a risen sheet cannot be used.
• The custard must be far thicker than a pouring custard and hold its shape completely, or the square collapses when cut.
• Passionfruit icing is a very common New Zealand variation on the plain vanilla glaze.

Substitutions

• Ready-rolled puff pastry works perfectly well and saves a great deal of time.
• Custard powder can replace the cornflour and yolks for a simpler version.

Variations

• Passionfruit icing is the classic New Zealand variation.
• Some bakeries use a caramel or chocolate glaze.
• The vanilla slice in Australia is the closest relative.

History

A New Zealand bakery staple sold by the square, with towns competing over who makes the best.

Frequently asked questions

What is Custard Square?

Custard Square is a bread & pastry from New Zealand: slab of set custard between flaky pastry, iced on top. A New Zealand bakery staple sold by the square, with towns competing over who makes the best.

How long does Custard Square take to make?

Custard Square takes 1 hour plus chilling of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 12 squares. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Custard Square?

Yes, within limits. Ready-rolled puff pastry works perfectly well and saves a great deal of time. Custard powder can replace the cornflour and yolks for a simpler version.

What is the most important thing to get right in Custard Square?

Lift the top tray off carefully. Give them another three minutes to colour. Let them cool completely on a rack. Mix the cornflour with a little cold milk. Make a completely smooth paste. Whisk in the egg yolks as well. Add the sugar and whisk it smooth. Put the rest of the milk in a heavy pan. Add the pinch of salt as well. Warm it until it is well steaming. Do not let it come to a full boil.