The difference between a custard slice and a Napoleon or mille feuille is the lack of a middle slab of puff pastry. (The latter two can also be made with alternate fillings, but custard or pastry cream are traditional options.) Australian custard slices are firmer than their European counterparts, oftentimes stabilized with a combination of gelatin and custard powder for filling with an enthusiastic bounce rather than a cushy wobble. Both styles are iconically decorated with white poured fondant icing, most notably with feathered chocolate stripes, but I find those icings often achingly sweet and too heavy against the pastry and custard. A dusting of confectioner’s sugar is enough prettiness for me, and cuts down on the preparation time as well.
A close friend makes a fantastic baklava, reminiscent of the ones she had in Turkey. It is bathed with a sugar syrup instead of honey, and somehow that switch makes the sweet feel surprisingly vivacious, and preserves the delicacy of the pistachio and cardamom filling. The other day, reading about galaktoboureko—a Greek cousin to my beloved custard slices made with phyllo and semolina custard—I was reminded of that baklava it as the starting point for my weeknd dessert. The method is standard with the tiniest of changes. Pressing pistachios into the puff pastry grants a robust crunch, and steeping the cream with orange, cardamom, cinnamon, and vanilla grants a subtly perfumed custard.
