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Cheat’s Milk Tart Custard Slices with Cinnamon

Cheat’s Milk Tart Custard Slices with Cinnamon

by | Feb 25, 2017 | 12 comments

This is the best/only custard slice recipe you will ever need, people! Okay so it’s kinda cheating – it’s made with cream crackers and custard powder but darn does it taste good! And while I’ve given this version a milk tart twist for National Milk Tart Day (which by the way is on the 27 February) best believe it is equally delicious with the traditional tangy lemon glaze – so I’ve included a recipe for that too. I was given this recipe by my childhood best friend, Tammy – her mom used to send her to the farm I grew up on with a tin filled to the brim with these creamy slices every Friday after school. We’d sit in our treehouse (which we built ourselves – girl power!) and devour them, sharing them only with each other (‘cos no trespasser’s allowed!) and getting custard all over our hands – the best part about custard slices is the fact that they squish everywhere and it requires much licking of fingers to get every last bit of the creamy filling!
I must add that the recipe wasn’t just given to me – it was carefully handwritten and lovingly placed into a folder along with all my other best friends’ favourite recipes (all scribbled down on various coloured paper with different handwriting) for my 18th birthday. It is still one of my most treasured possessions – and the title of the cookbook?  ‘Katelyn’s Favouriteistest Favourite Flop-Proof Recipe Cookbook – Made with love by all her friends’ How awesome is that? Pretty awesome – almost as awesome as these custard slices!

Milk Tart Custard Slices

Makes 16-20

 

1 x 200g packet unsalted cream crackers

½ cup cake flour

100ml maizena or corn flour

20ml custard powder (or substitute with extra Maizena)

pinch of salt

100ml water

1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)

1 cinnamon stick, broken in half

3 eggs, separated

1 litre full cream milk

1 cup Natura Sugars Soft Brown Sugar

60g butter

 

For dusting:

1/4 cup Natura Sugars Demerara Icing Sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Line a 20 x 30cm cake tin with baking paper and arrange a layer of crackers on the bottom. Make a paste with the flour, cornflour, custard powder, salt, water, vanilla, egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the milk. Heat the remaining milk, vanilla, cinnamon stick, sugar and butter and add to the paste while whisking. Return to the pot and cook until the custard is thick, stirring continuously. Whip the egg whites until stiff then fold into the lukewarm custard. Pour the custard over the crackers and place another layer of crackers on top. Allow to set in the fridge until completely cool. Mix the icing sugar and cinnamon then dust the slices. Cut into slices and serve.

 

TIP To make the traditional lemon glaze (instead of the cinnamon topping), mix 1 cup demerara icing sugar and the juice of 1 lemon together with a little hot water to form a paste and drizzle over the tops of the custard slices.

Demerara Fudge Bars with White Chocolate and Sea salt

Demerara Fudge Bars with White Chocolate and Sea salt

by | Sep 30, 2015 | 0 comments

Should I even bother typing an intro to this? I mean, with a title like that, I know you’re already thinking ‘Get in mah belleh!!!’ and working out how you can get to the shops and back in the quickest amount of time. I’m thinking it too. ‘Cos I know how flipping amazing these are!

I’ve used the crunchy caramelly Natura Demerara sugars for the job (Demerara sugars is crystallized from the first press of sugarcane juice). The Light Demerara is perfect for shortbread – the texture is fine (like wiggling your toes in beach sand!) so it dissolves while baking but still adds flavour. The Dark Demerara has gorgeous amber crystals (so pretty I used them as decoration on top of the white chocolate) which are perfect  for making a kick-ass caramel fudge. I’ve realised that sugar is so much more than just adding sweetness and using proper unrefined sugar will add heaps of  flavour to your baking!
In my opinion, the best part, is the sexy off-cuts! I pretty much spent the entire morning munching on them while shooting – don’t think for a second they made it back into any sort of storage container (what is this ‘storage container’ you speak of? What is it used for?!).  Well, now my camera is covered in fudge… Wait, my camera is covered in fudge!
Now, go bake yourself happy while I contemplate whether licking my camera is socially acceptable…

P.S. This is what was left of the batch:

 

Demerara Fudge Bars with White Chocolate and Sea salt

Makes 16-20

 

Cocoa Shortbread base

150g cake flour

30g cocoa powder

130g butter, cut into blocks

60g Natura Light Demerara Sugar

 

Demerara Filling

130g milk powder (full-fat if possible)

150g Light Demerara Sugar

210g salted butter

100g Natura Dark Demerara Sugar

160ml boiling water

 

Topping

200g white chocolate, melted

Sea salt flakes

Dark Demerara Sugar, for sprinkling

 

Grease and line a 20 x 20cm baking tray with baking paper. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (160 if you’re using a fan-forced oven).

Combine the flour, cocoa, sugar and butter in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix until it forms a soft dough. Alternately, get your fingers dirty and rub all the ingredients together until well combined. Press the dough into the prepared baking tin and prick the base with a fork. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool completely.

To make the Demerara fudge layer, place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and combined. Pour into a saucepan and stir continuously over a low heat until all the sugar has dissolved.

Bring to the boil and cook until the mixture turns golden brown and reaches soft ball stage (118C on a sugar thermometer). To test if it’s ready, drop a small amount into a small cup filled with tap water, it should form a soft, pliable ball. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the shortbread. Allow to cool completely.

Spread the melted white chocolate over the top of the toffee then sprinkle with a little sea salt and the Demerara sugar. Allow to set then cut into bars using a hot knife.

Disclaimer: This post has been sponsored by Natura Sugars who produce a range of really special sugars that are unrefined and made according to traditional Mauritian sugar-making techniques. The sugars are non-GM, non-irradiated and unbleached with no preservatives, colourants or syrups added which basically means they are pure, natural and packed with flavour!