Vanilla Custard Pie

Ingredients

  • 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, partially thawed

  • 1 Tbsp pure icing sugar

  • ½ cup caster sugar

  • ½ cup cornflour

  • ½ cup custard powder

  • 1¼ cups milk

  • ²⁄³ cup thickened cream

  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

  • 40g butter

  • 1 egg yolk

  • Cooking oil spray, for greasing

  • Extra 2 cups pure icing sugar

  • Extra 10g butter

  • Extra 2 Tbsp milk

  • Pink food colouring, to tint

  • 2 Tbsp flaked almonds, toasted

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 200°C. Line 2 oven trays with baking paper. Place 1 pastry sheet on each prepared tray.

  • Brush with water and dust with icing sugar. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden. Place a clean tea towel over each pastry sheet and press to flatten. Set aside to cool.

  • Combine caster sugar, cornflour and custard powder in a small saucepan.

  • Combine milk, thickened cream and vanilla extract in a large jug. Slowly add milk mixture to sugar mixture, stirring to combine.

  • Place over a medium heat and stir until mixture comes to the boil. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until thick.

  • Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in butter and egg yolk. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

  • Grease a pie tin with cooking oil spray, then line with baking paper.

  • Cut 1 pastry sheet to fit base of prepared tin. Put pastry round in tin.

  • Spoon cold custard on top of pastry base, spreading evenly.

  • Cut remaining pastry sheet to cover custard and place on top of custard, pressing down firmly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  • Sift extra icing sugar into a bowl. Put extra butter and milk in a microwave-safe jug and microwave on high/100% for 30 seconds or until butter melts.

  • Add milk mixture to icing sugar and stir until a smooth icing forms, adding a little hot water if it’s too thick. Add food colouring, 1 drop at a time and stirring well between each addition, until desired colour.

  • Transfer pie to a serving plate, then spread icing on top and sprinkle over flaked almonds. Set aside until set. Serve.