Easy custard slices

A classic custard slice with crackers is delicious but you can also use Tennis biscuits for a coconut twist or even Lemon Creams for extra lemon flavour. Feel free to play around!

Makes at least 9 squares

Preparation: 20 minutes, plus refrigeration overnight Cooking time: 10 minutes

• 1 packet (200g) Cream Crackers FILLING

• 1L full-cream milk

• 200ml castor sugar

• 60ml butter, cubed

• 125ml custard powder

• 15ml cornflour

• a pinch of salt

• 10ml vanilla essence

TOPPING

• 250ml icing sugar

• about 15–30ml fresh lemon juice

1 Grease a 20 x 20cm square tart pan with non-stick cooking spray. Arrange a layer of crackers on the bottom, making sure that the crackers’ perforations line up.

2 Heat the milk, sugar and butter until the sugar has melted. Mix the custard powder, cornflour and salt in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat the warm milk mixture into the custard powder while beating continuously. Pour the mixture back into the pot and beat over medium heat until the custard thickens (like when you make white sauce). Beat in the vanilla and remove from the heat. 3 Carefully pour the custard mixture over the crackers in the tart pan without disturbing them, and spread evenly. Now arrange another layer of crackers on top of the custard; make sure the crackers line up again and correlate with the bottom layer of crackers. Refrigerate overnight.

4 Mix the icing sugar for the topping with just enough lemon juice to make a thick, spreadable icing. Drizzle over the custard slices and spread evenly on top. Allow to set for a few minutes before cutting the custard slices into squares or rectangles along the perforations of the crackers.

Tips

• If you want to decorate your custard slices with daisies like we did, beat a small egg white until frothy. Use half of this and mix in about 125ml sifted icing sugar until the icing is glossy and syrupy in texture. Spoon into a piping bag with a round nozzle and ‘draw’ daisies onto the white lemon-flavoured icing on the custard slices. Add a few rainbow sprinkles in the centre of each flower.

• You can also ‘draw’ the flowers on squares of baking paper and let them harden in the cavities of a mini muffin pan. The weight of the flowers will cause the paper to ‘sink’ slightly; this gives the flowers a three-dimensional effect that will make the custard slices look even prettier. Or use real daisies – fewer dishes and less sugar!