I can’t believe it’s nearly February already.

Today is Australia day. So for my first post of the year, I thought I will share an Aussie favourite, the vanilla slice.

This homemade vanilla slice might not beat the nostalgia of school canteen’s unnatural yellow custard wedged between two slices of cardboard with an intoxicatingly sweet fondant icing. However, tastewise, this handmade version will win hands down with its creamy vanilla custard, crisp puff pastry and a tasty passionfruit icing.




Passionfruit Vanilla Slice
(Adapted from Australian Good Food Magazine. The magazine has unfortunately been discontinued.)

Makes 12 slices

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed at room temperature
(Note: Make sure pastry is just thawed, or it will be difficult to handle.)

For the vanilla custard
250ml thickened cream
500ml full cream milk
50 grams unsalted butter, chopped
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways, seeds scraped
75 grams cornflour
25 grams plain flour
5 egg yolks
200 grams caster sugar

For the passionfruit icing
240 grams icing sugar
60ml passionfruit pulp

To make puff pastry:
Preheat oven to 220 degrees celcius (or 200 degrees celcius fan-forced).

Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place 1 puff pastry sheet on prepared tray. Top with another piece of baking paper. Weigh down with a heavy baking tray or pan. Bake for 10 minutes, or until edges of pastry are light golden brown. Remove top tray and baking paper. Continue baking puff pastry for 5 minutes, or until puff pastry is golden brown.

Repeat above with the second puff pastry sheet.

To make vanilla custard:
In a large saucepan, bring cream, milk, butter, vanilla beans and seeds to boil in a large saucepan on high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Discard vanilla beans.

Using an electric mixer, beat yolks and sugar until combine. Add cornflour and flour. Beat until smooth. Gradually beat in hot milk mixture. Return mixture to saucepan. Cook, whisking constantly with a hand whisk, over medium heat, for 3 to 4 minutes or until mixture is very thick. Pour into a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap to stop a skin forming. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool.

Line a 20cm square pan with baking paper, extending above rim. Using a sharp knife, trim pastry sheets to fit pan. Place 1 sheet in base. Spoon over custard, smoothing top. Top with the second pastry sheet. Press down lightly so pastry attaches to custard. Chill overnight, or until set.

To make passionfruit icing:
Mix icing sugar and passionfruit until smooth. Add a little hot water if too thick. Spread over slice. Stand for 10 minutes, or until set. Using overhanging paper as handles, lift slice from pan. Cut into 12 pieces.

Baklava is one of the few treats that I can’t resist. It’s ridiculously moreish, and once I start, it takes lots of willpower to stop.

It is a rich sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry (each layer generously buttered), filled with crushed nuts, and drenched in honey syrup. This version is very lemony and some might even say that it is not as traditional. However, I do really like the addition of lemon juice in the syrup as it seems to tone down the sweetness.

Use good honey, and allow plenty of time (preferably a day) for the syrup to work its way through the layers of pastry and nuts. Baklava will get better over time.






Bakalava
(Adapted from Taste)

Depends on how you cut it. For me, this recipe makes 12 diagonal pieces and 12 triangle pieces.

Syrup
220g (1 cup) caster sugar
120g (1/3 cup) honey
60ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
4 wide strips lemon zest

Filling
375g walnuts and 200g blanched whole almonds (I used a mix of pistachios, almonds and walnuts)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
125g unsalted butter, melted
375g packet filo pastry

To make syrup:
Combine the sugar, honey, lemon juice and zest, and 180ml (3/4 cup) water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes, then set aside to cool.

To make filling:
Process walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped (take care not to over-process or nuts will become oily). Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with almonds, then add to walnuts with cinnamon. Combine well.

Generously brush base and sides of an 18cm x 28cm (3.5cm-deep) slice pan with butter. Unroll filo on a large chopping board and place prepared pan on top. Using a small, sharp knife, cut around pan all the way through the filo sheets. Discard trimmings. Keep filo covered with a clean, slightly damp tea towel to prevent the sheets drying out. Working with 1 filo sheet at a time, brush with butter, then place in pan. Repeat with 8 filo sheets to create 9 layers. Evenly scatter over half of the nut mixture.

Repeat buttering and layering with another 6 filo sheets, placing them over the nut filling. Evenly scatter over remaining nut mixture. Repeat buttering and layering with another 6 filo sheets, placing over the second layer of nut filling. Using your hands, press filo gently to compress slightly. Brush top well with butter.

Preheat oven to 160C fan-forced. Place baklava in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm (this will make it easier to score filo). Using a small, sharp knife, score the top few layers of filo in diamond shapes; to do this, score filo parallel to the short sides of the pan at 5cm intervals, then score it at a 45-degree angle to the first cuts at 5cm intervals. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden (cover with baking paper if the pastry is over-browning).

Pour syrup over hot baklava in pan, then stand for 2 hours or until the syrup is absorbed and baklava is cool.

Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into pieces along score marks to serve. Baklava will keep, covered with plastic wrap in the pan, in a cool, dark place for up to 1 week.

These super indulgent rich fudgy chocolate brownies with chocolate chips and strawberry creme oreo cookies are perfect for one of those days when you are feeling a little blue and have a persistent craving for chocolates and everything sweet. I guarantee these brownies will hit the spot and make you feel just that little bit better. And hard as it may be, resist the temptation of having seconds as these brownies will just head straight for those thighs.

You can use your favourite brownies recipe or even brownies mix, and just add oreos to it. I used strawberry creme oreo cookies for this recipe which I absolutely love, but normal crème oreo would just be as good.



Strawberry Creme Oreo Brownies

Ingredient
250g good quality dark chocolate, cut into chunks
250g unsalted butter
5 eggs
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
230g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g chocolate chips
2 packets of strawberry creme oreos

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Line 32x24cm baking pan with baking paper.
3. Stir dark chocolate and butter in double boiler over simmering water until smooth.
4. Remove from heat and allow chocolate mixture to cool slightly.
5. Beat eggs and caster sugar in electric mixer on medium-high speed until thick and pale.
6. Reduce speed to low, add vanilla and cooled chocolate mixture. Beat to combine.
7. Stir flour and salt into chocolate mixture with whisk or spatula until just combine (do not overmix).
8. Stir in chocolate chips.
9. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan.
10. Arrange a layer of oreos over the top.
11. Spread the remaining batter over the oreos.
12. Place pan on lowest oven shelf and bake for 20-35 minutes.



Tips:
The brownies is ready when there is a firm-looking crust on top and when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out wet and chocolately. Place pan on wire rack and cool completely.

Brownies can be store in airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.