Custard Squares (Aaron's Vanilla Slice)

For the custard square:

• 1kg Tatua Crème Custard
• 20g cornflour
• 20g gelatine powder
• 160g cold water

• 2 sheets of puff pastry

   

For the icing

• 300g icing sugar
• 25g softened butter
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2-4 Tbsp hot water

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Place the pastry on the prepared baking trays & prick thoroughly with a fork all over. This will discourage the pastry from rising to much since you want flat/flaky sheets. 
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until dark golden brown. Carefully turn each sheet of pastry after ~15 minutes to ensure it is cooked right through. Place on a wire rack to cool.
4. Weigh out the required amount of gelatine powder and bloom with half the cold water (80g). 
5. Weigh out the required amount of corn flour and hydrate with half the cold water (80g). 
6. In a saucepan, mix the custard together with the bloomed gelatine and hydrated cornflour mixes. 
7. Heat the mixture over a low to medium heat with constant stirring (to avoid burning). 
8. Continue to heat until the mixture begins to steam, allow the mixture to release steam for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and allow to cool to around room temperature.
9. Use a serrated knife to trim the pastry sheets to fit the prepared cake tin, if necessary. 
10. Place one pastry sheet in the base of the tin and top with the semi-cooled custard. Place the remaining pastry sheet on top of the custard. Refrigerate for 6-8 hours or overnight or until the custard is thick enough that when cut it holds its shape. Must be cooled in fridge as this activates the gelatine to thicken the custard.
11. Place icing sugar, butter and vanilla essence in a bowl. Mix with enough hot water to form a smooth and spreadable icing.
12. Spread over the top pastry layer and refrigerate for another 30 minutes or until the icing has set. Use a serrated knife to carefully cut into slices.