Lemon verbena custard squares with passionfruit

MAKES 16 // PREP TIME 25 MINS // COOK 1 HR (PLUS INFUSING, SETTING, COOLING)

Lemon verbena gives the custard a fragrant citrus note while the traditional passionfruit icing has been updated with lemon and fresh passionfruit.

2 sheets (375gm each) butter puff pastry (see note)

500 ml (2 cups) milk

375 ml (1½ cups) pouring cream

4 lemon verbena sprigs (see note)

120 gm caster sugar

75 gm (½ cup) cornflour

6 egg yolks

70 gm butter, chopped

LEMON ICING

320 gm (2 cups) pure icing sugar, sifted

2½ tbsp lemon juice

Pulp of 2 passionfruit

1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut each pastry sheet into a 25cm square, place each square on a baking tray lined with baking paper and prick all over with a fork. Top each square with another sheet of baking paper and another heavy oven tray. Bake, swapping and turning trays halfway through cooking so pastry cooks evenly, until dark golden and puffed

(20 minutes). Cool pastries on wire racks. 2 Meanwhile, line a 20cm-square cake tin with baking paper, extending paper beyond the sides to assist with removal. Place the base of the cake tin on a cooled pastry square, then using a serrated knife, trim to the same size. Place one pastry square in tin.

3 Bring milk, cream and lemon verbena just to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover and set aside to infuse (30 minutes). Meanwhile, whisk sugar, cornflour and yolks in a bowl to combine. Discard lemon verbena, then pour milk mixture into egg mixture, whisking continuously. Return mixture to pan with butter and whisk until thick and flour is cooked out. (4 minutes). Remove from heat and pour onto pastry in cake tin. Press remaining pastry square on top and refrigerate until set (3 hours).

4 For lemon icing, stir ingredients in a bowl until smooth. Lift slice from tin and spread with icing. Return to the fridge to set (30 minutes). Cut slice into squares and drizzle with passionfruit pulp.

Note We prefer to use Carême puff pastry , which comes in pre-rolled 375gm sheets. Lemon verbena is available from nurseries and farmer’s markets. Recipe can be made a day ahead.