Vegan Custard / Iced Slices
Vegan Custard / Iced Slices
Whether you know it as a custard slice, iced slice, or even a vanilla slice – this lovely retro bake is well worth revisiting.
I have such fond memories of weekend outings with my grandparents. Transported by my Grandad’s green Vauxhall Viva, and armed with flasks of tea and foil-wrapped sandwiches (always a bit curly by the time we ate them), we’d set off to explore pretty villages nestled in the countryside. A perfect day would include rummaging around old bookshops – deliciously cool and dusty, with a faint smell of vanilla – and a late afternoon trip to a café.
A generously sized iced slice was my Grandad’s favourite, and mine, too; served with a bubblegum-pink, foamy strawberry milkshake in a tall glass. The thought still makes my heart flutter with joyous nostalgia! It’s been a very long time since I last enjoyed an iced slice in a café, but the vegan ones below are the next best thing. They taste exactly as I remember; I think my late Grandad would have loved them, too.
Makes 8 – 12 slices, depending how big you want them. You will need a large baking sheet and a shallow-ish baking tray, approx 9-inch square or bigger
1 x sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry (most are vegan but do check the packet) approx 25cm x 45cm
60g custard powder
100g caster sugar
150g plant-based pouring cream
350ml non-dairy milk (any is fine)
1 tbsp natural vanilla extract or paste
175g icing sugar
25ml cold water
Optional: 100g seedless, smooth raspberry jam and a few squares of dairy free dark chocolate, melted
Preheat the oven to 220c / 200c fan / gas mark 7.
Unroll the sheet of pastry and slice it in half to give you two equally sized square-ish shaped pieces. Place these, about an inch apart, on a baking tray – lined with the baking paper that came with the pastry – and prick all over with a fork. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then set aside to cool while you make the custard.
To make the custard, stir together the custard powder and caster sugar in a medium sized, heavy bottomed saucepan. Whisk the cream into the pan until a smooth, canary-yellow paste has formed, then set the pan over a lowish-medium heat. Pour the milk into the pan a little at a time, whisking continuously by hand until it is all used up and the custard begins to bubble and thicken. Lower the heat a little and continue to stir for 2 minutes, making sure the custard doesn’t stick to the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Leave the custard to cool for around 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. The cream should prevent a skin from forming too quickly but stir regularly just to be sure.
Place one half of the puff pastry on a baking tray or sheet, lined with a piece of baking paper large enough that you can lift the iced slices out with ease. Dollop the warm custard onto the pastry, spreading to the edges and levelling with the back of a spoon. Spread jam over the second square of puff pastry if you like (optional; I didn’t use it this time) then flip it over (jam-side down) on to the custard. Leave to cool completely before icing.
To make the icing, simply measure the icing sugar into a bowl and stir in the water until you have a smooth, runny glace icing. Pour this onto the pastry and ease it into place using a palette knife or the back of a smooth until the pastry is fully covered. Once the icing has set, you can melt the chocolate and zig-zag it over the top, if you like. (As with the jam, this is optional and obviously I didn’t use any here). Now transfer the tray to the fridge to chill for a couple of hours.
When it is ready, use the baking paper to lift the custardy slab out of the tin and slice into eight pieces. This will be messy, there’s no two ways about it, but the nostalgic heaven is more than worth it. Keep covered and refrigerated, and eat within two days.
