Vanilla Bean Custard Puffs

So quick and so easy. I mean it. I am always looking for quick things to make – because on Thursday nights I bring dessert to family dinner. This one is a particuarly good one that I will be making again! Maybe with some different berries to mix it up. It has a few different steps but you can be doing it all at the same time.

I’m not much of a custard fan, you see, I do not like ‘sloppy’ foods. Custard falls under this category, as does porrige and yoghurt. Although, I love greek yoghurt on curries and in dips. Go figure? I know that it isn’t the flavour, it’s the texture that gets me. Anyway, Tyler absolutely adores custard. He eats it on fruit, cereal and ice cream. He really doesn’t have boundaries with it. And if he doesn’t eat it, I’ll just churn it into ice cream When you make the custard, do not add too much corn flour too quickly. It thickens like you wouldn’t believe and once it gets there it can become like a horrible yum cha jelly. If you don’t know about yum cha jelly, it is a jelly that they serve at chinese yum cha that is made on very potent gelatine and is like rubber!

The reds of the strawberries and raspberries were such a beautiful contrast, but blue berries and blackberries would have worked well too. I’m still trying to get Summer to come back with my cooking. It would appear though, that it is not working.

If you have access to it, or can afford it, go for high quality puff pastry. If you have a bit of time on your hands, you can make it yourself, but honestly, who does? If you cook it right, it will have perfect little paper thin layers of pastry that burst up, creating a lovely effect. More crunch too, perfect contrast for your ripe berries and creamy custard.

Follow my lead. . .

Ingredients

• 2 sheets, frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 3 egg yolks, lightly whisked
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tablespoon corn flour
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 punnet strawberries, hulled, halved
• 1 punnet raspberries

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 190C and line 2 baking trays with canola oil spray and baking paper.
2. Using a glass, cut 12 rounds out of the pastry and place them onto the baking trays. Place into the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla to a 1 litre saucepan and whisk over a very low heat using a balloon whisk. When the sugar has dissolved, add the milk and continue to whisk for 10 minutes.
4. Stir to combine the cornflour and water and then add to the custard mixture and stir until your desired consistency is reached. Set aside to cool.
5. Arrange the pastries on a platter and pour approximately 2 tablespoons of custard over each. Top with strawberries and raspberries and serve immediately.
6. Chew.