French Vanilla Slice

French vanilla slice is a layered pastry dessert, especially popular in Australia and New Zealand. It typically consists of:

Two crisp sheets of puff pastry

A thick middle layer of smooth vanilla custard

Icing or powdered sugar on top

Despite the name, it isn’t necessarily French. It’s closely related to the French mille-feuille or vanilla slice, but usually has fewer pastry layers and a much thicker custard filling. “French” versions may use richer custard, cream, or fondant icing, depending on the bakery.

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Prep Time 25

Cook Time 25

Chilling Time 4

Total Time 4 50

Course Dessert

Cuisine Australian, European, French

Servings servings

Calories 604 kcal

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Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry thawed
375 ml whole milk (1½ cups)
2 egg yolks
60 g caster sugar (¼ cup)
35 g cornstarch (¼ cup)
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
20 g butter
75 g icing sugar (⅔ cup)
1–2 tsp milk
¼ tsp vanilla extract

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Instructions

Heat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan). Place pastry on a lined tray, prick all over with a fork, and cover with another sheet of baking paper and a second tray to keep it flat. Bake for 15–20 minutes until crisp and golden. Cool completely.
Cut two equal rectangles to fit a small loaf tin or container, approximately 20 × 10 cm (8 × 4 inches). Line the container with baking paper, leaving an overhang, and place one pastry rectangle in the bottom.
Heat the milk in a saucepan until steaming but not boiling. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually whisk in the hot milk.
Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until very thick and bubbling. Continue cooking for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and stir in the butter.
Immediately spread the hot custard evenly over the bottom pastry layer. Place the second pastry rectangle on top and press down gently.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Mix the icing sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make a thick, spreadable icing. Spread over the top. Lift the slice from the container and cut into 4 portions using a sharp serrated knife.

For easier cutting, score the top pastry into four portions before placing it over the custard.

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Some parts or all of recipe maybe AI-generated. Recipe pictures are examples of recipe and represent no affiliation with photographer.

Nutrition

Calories: 604kcal (30%)Carbohydrates: 69g (23%)Protein: 9g (18%)Fat: 32g (49%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 110mg (37%)Sodium: 235mg (10%)Potassium: 211mg (6%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 33g (37%)Vitamin A: 297IU (6%)Calcium: 145mg (14%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Disclaimer

Nutritional information for this recipe is an approximation and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Keyword chilled, custard, layered, pastry

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