Custard Cream Squares (Print Version)

Flaky puff pastry, velvety vanilla custard, and whipped cream come together for a simple yet fancy European-inspired treat.

# Ingredients:

→ Pastry Base

01 - 2 cold sheets of puff pastry, fully thawed

→ Custard Filling

02 - 4 cups whole milk, split
03 - 1 1/2 cups regular sugar
04 - 1 1/4 cups plain flour
05 - 8 large eggs, yolks and whites separated carefully
06 - 3 teaspoons vanilla extract made from real vanilla
07 - 2 tablespoons dark rum (optional but tasty)
08 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

→ Cream Topping

09 - 2 cups ice-cold heavy cream
10 - 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, with extra for sprinkling on top

# Steps:

01 - Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the puff pastry sheets on separate trays and bake for 10 minutes. Let them cool until room temperature.
02 - Take 3 cups of milk and bring it to a gentle boil in a saucepan set to medium heat.
03 - Whisk the sugar and egg yolks in a large bowl until the color turns pale, and the texture gets fluffy.
04 - Add the plain flour, vanilla, optional rum, pinch of salt, and the last 1 cup of milk to the egg-sugar mixture. Stir everything until smooth with no lumps.
05 - Slowly pour the egg mixture into the boiling milk while stirring all the time. Cook and mix until it gets thick enough to coat the back of your spoon.
06 - Use a mixer to beat the egg whites in a separate clean bowl until you see stiff peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the warm custard to make it light.
07 - Put one of the now-cooled puff pastry sheets inside a 9×13-inch pan. Spread the creamy custard evenly over the pastry.
08 - Place the dish in your refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours to allow the custard to firm up.
09 - Once the custard layer sets, whip the chilled heavy cream with powdered sugar in a mixing bowl until it holds stiff peaks. Spread it across the custard layer evenly.
10 - Slice the second puff pastry into 15 neat squares and arrange them gently on top of the whipped cream layer.
11 - Chill the entire dish in your fridge again for about 2 hours to fully set.
12 - Sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top if you'd like, and cut into 15 equal squares to serve chilled.

# Helpful Notes:

01 - You can prep this a day ahead and store it in the fridge.
02 - Tastes best within 2 days while the texture is still great.
03 - Rum is optional, but it does deepen the flavor.
04 - Make sure no yolk sneaks into the egg whites for perfect beating.

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