.Recipe Monday.

Happy Monday!

First of all, I need to say THANKYOU so much for the Uptown Girl jacket love! I was blown away by how well it was received and by how many requests were made to offer the pattern in adult size. I can see that working SO well and will definitely be having a play around with it to see what I can come up with. Thankyou to everyone who has placed orders already - I know that Creative Abundance are working hard (as always!) and will be posting out VERY soon. If you want to pre-order a copy of the pattern, contact your local fabric store or send me and ask them to order one in for you if they haven't already. Will get around to posting a pattern giveaway this afternoon...

I woke up this morning to realise that I have had washing hanging on the line for THREE days! Talk about mega-baby brain...the thought didn't even cross my mind until I went to get some clothes out of my cupboard this morning and couldn't find a few things. Monday in our house is housework/washing day so that I don't have to do much more than a quick tidy up and vacuum for the rest of the week.

Recipe Monday today...this Vanilla Slice is a family favourite, I haven't ever featured it on Recipe Monday though because I forget to take a photo BEFORE we eat it and by the time I go to take a pic (usually the next day) it is looking a little worse for wear! Same thing happened this time around, except I went ahead a took a photo anyway - they are looking a little wonky and I had to re-spread the icing because it stuck to the lid of the container they were sitting in last night! But they are truly DELICIOUS!!

For the pastry, I usually take 2 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thaw it out and place on baking paper lined trays. Prick them all over with a fork and bake in oven until they are cooked. Then Mum and I remembered a family friend who used Arnotts Lattice biscuits in place of pastry, so I had a go last night. They are just as good and much less effort - but if you prefer a chewy pastry then go with the puff.

If you are put off by the amount of cream in the recipe, just substitue it all for milk. I've done it both ways and you actually can't tell the difference at all.

Vanilla Slice

2 x sheets puff pastry, cooked OR 2 packets Lattice biscuits
1 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup cornflour
1/2 cup custard powder
2 cups cream
2 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla essence

Icing
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 Tbs soft margarine
milk or water

Line a large, square cake tin with baking paper so that the paper is fully covering the base and sides. (Make sure it hangs over the top a little then you can lift the whole slice out of the tin using the baking paper to make it easier to cut and serve.)

Place one pastry sheet or biscuits to cover the bottom of the tin.

Combine the sugar, cornflour and custard powder in a saucepan. Add the milk, cream and vanilla, stirring constantly over medium heat until it boils and thickens. Continue stirring until smooth.

Remove from heat and spread the custard over the pastry/biscuits in the tin, then cover with the other pastry sheet/biscuits. Refrigerate to cool completely.

To make icing, combine the icing sugar and butter in a small bowl. Add enough water or milk to stir to a spreading consistency.

Lift the slice out of the tin using the baking paper as handles. Ice the top and leave to set before cutting with a serrated knife.