Vanilla Slice

Vanilla Slice is a very popular three layered puff pastry that actually originated in France. This popular dessert is also known as Mille feuille, custard slice, cream slice, and Napoleon. There are three layers of this puff pastry traditionally with two cream layers and one layer of jam or whipped cream. The slice of this pastry is topped with fondant or colored icing. A wide range of colored icing can be used on the top of this pastry, such as white icing, strawberry icing, combed icing and chocolate strips. Some other ingredients like cocoa, confectioner's sugar, roasted almonds, and pulverized nuts are used to decorate the pastry.

 

History of Vanilla Slice Recipe

 

The origin and history of vanilla slice is very dubious. However, the dish was mentioned in an internationally acclaimed book named Cuisinier François by François Pierre de La Varenne in the year 1651. And later, the recipe was improved by Marie-Antoine Carême. The modern version of this dish was recorded in writing by Carême in the 18th Century.  

 

Ingredients Used To Make Mille feuille

 

Vanilla slice is made by using some of the simplest ingredients such as frozen puff pastry, white sugar, custard powder, cornstarch, milk, butter, egg yolks, vanilla essence or extract, confectioners' sugar and milk.

 

Method of Making Cream Slice

 

The vanilla slice pastry is basically a baked product. The traditional dessert consists of three main puff layers along with two different layers of crème pâtissière. These three layers are usually can be changed according to personal preferences. Typically, the pastry is topped or glazed with various types of icings. Some of the commonly used icings to top the pastries are brown chocolate strips, white frostings and combination of icings. Cheese and spinach filling is also used in the pastry to make some savory slices. 

 

Popular Vanilla Slice Recipe Variations

 

Vanilla slice has a wide range of variation based on the culinary practices of different countries and regions. Some of the most popular variations of this popular pastry dessert are mentioned below:

1. In Italian cuisine, the same dish with similar types of fillings is named as mille foglie. The only difference in Italian version of this dish is that it is mostly filled with spinach, cheese or pesto unlike other versions. Another major difference between Italian version and other versions is that the former often use sponge cake as a layer.   

2. In Canadian cuisine, the dish is often referred as Napoleon. This name is mainly given because of the famous French history of the country. The difference in this Canadian version of this pastry is that it uses custard and whipped cream in between the three puff pastry layers.

3. In Spanish, this puffed pastry dessert is mostly made very thin and crunchy. It is also filled with just crème fraîche. Moreover, these Canadian versions of Vanilla Slice are far deeper as compared to the other puffed pastry. The depth of these pastries can reach up to 0.15 m.