Description
Delight in these elegant Puff Pastry Vanilla Custard Cream Squares, featuring flaky golden puff pastry layers filled with a smooth, rich vanilla custard cream. Perfect for a special dessert or teatime treat, this recipe combines the crispiness of baked puff pastry with a luscious homemade vanilla custard, finished with whipped cream for extra silkiness.
Ingredients
Scale
Puff Pastry
- 2 sheets of puff pastry, thawed
Vanilla Custard Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure easy cleanup.
- Prepare puff pastry squares: Roll out each thawed puff pastry sheet with a rolling pin to smooth and slightly thin them. Cut each sheet into 9 equal squares, totaling 18 squares.
- Dock the pastry: Place the squares on the prepared baking sheets and prick each square multiple times with a fork. This prevents excessive puffing during baking.
- Bake the puff pastry: Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the squares cool completely.
- Heat milk and vanilla: In a saucepan over medium heat, gently heat the whole milk with the vanilla bean (split and scraped) until just simmering. If using vanilla extract, wait to add it later.
- Mix egg yolks and dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch until the mixture is smooth and pale yellow.
- Temper the eggs: Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture while whisking continuously. This tempers the eggs to prevent scrambling.
- Cook custard: Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes, until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency.
- Finish custard and chill: Remove from heat and stir in the unsalted butter until melted. If using vanilla extract, add it now and mix well. Cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until fully chilled.
- Whip cream: In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, creating a light and sweet whipped cream.
- Combine custard and whipped cream: Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled custard until smooth and creamy, forming the custard cream filling.
- Assemble squares: Carefully split each cooled puff pastry square horizontally into two layers. Spoon a generous amount of the custard cream onto each bottom half, then sandwich with the top half.
- Serve: Optionally, dust the assembled cream squares with powdered sugar before serving for a beautiful presentation and extra sweetness.
Notes
- Ensure puff pastry is fully thawed before rolling and baking for even puffing.
- Cover the custard directly with plastic wrap to avoid a skin forming on top.
- For vanilla bean substitution, add vanilla extract after cooking to preserve flavor.
- Handle puff pastry squares gently when slicing and assembling to avoid breaking the layers.
- This dessert is best served the same day but can be refrigerated for up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: puff pastry dessert, vanilla custard, cream squares, baked custard, whipped cream dessert
