I finally got around to making a Krempita. This is the Croatian version of a Vanilla Slice.
It is fabulous, now I know why you can find this dessert all over Croatia in every cafe or cake shop you go to. The custard is probably the best custard I have ever eaten. It is so light and the lemon zest through it makes it unbelievably delicious.
I used store bought puff pastry, feel free to make your own.
This is the perfect dessert to serve at a dinner party. It looks like it is big and heavy, yet one spoonful and you realise it is so light and just beautiful.
You can make the slices smaller, but as it is so high, it is a little bit harder to serve, but it can be done.
Don't forget to pre slice the top pastry or chop it up, as I prefer it, because if you don't it will be impossible to slice the krempita.
So if you love a good vanilla slice, look no further, this one is perfect.
It is fabulous, now I know why you can find this dessert all over Croatia in every cafe or cake shop you go to. The custard is probably the best custard I have ever eaten. It is so light and the lemon zest through it makes it unbelievably delicious.
I used store bought puff pastry, feel free to make your own.
This is the perfect dessert to serve at a dinner party. It looks like it is big and heavy, yet one spoonful and you realise it is so light and just beautiful.
You can make the slices smaller, but as it is so high, it is a little bit harder to serve, but it can be done.
Don't forget to pre slice the top pastry or chop it up, as I prefer it, because if you don't it will be impossible to slice the krempita.
So if you love a good vanilla slice, look no further, this one is perfect.
Recipe
Recipe adapted from Silvana Dijanic cookbook 'Domaci Kolaci'
Serves 9
2 sheets puff pastry
Custard Filling:
1 litre full cream milk
5 eggs, separated
250g caster sugar
1 packet (10g) vanilla sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
140g plain flour
200ml thickened cream, whipped
Icing sugar, for dusting
Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan forced.
Place the puff pastry sheets on 2 baking paper lined baking trays.
Prick the pastry all over with a fork to stop it puffing up. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and crisp.
Place 900ml of the milk in a medium saucepan, place over a low heat and heat the milk to nearly boiling, but don't let it boil.
Place the remaining 100ml milk, the egg yolks, 150g sugar, vanilla sugar and the lemon zest in a medium sized bowl. Using electric beaters, whisk until thick and creamy. Add the flour, whisk until it is all incorporated with no lumps.
With the beaters running, slowly pour in the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over a low heat and with constant mixing, cook for about 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens like a custard.
Place the egg whites in a medium sized bowl with the remaining 100g caster sugar. Using clean beaters, whisk until you get stiff peaks. Now add 1/3 of the egg whites into the hot custard, whisk it in with a hand whisk, or use the electric beaters. Add 1/2 of the remaining egg whites, whisk in, then the remaining egg whites, whisk until it is all incorporated.
Place 1 sheet of pastry into the base of a 5cm deep cake tin that is the same size as the pastry, about 23cm x 23cm.
Pour the custard over the pastry, smooth out the surface. Place a layer of plastic wrap on the custard, then place in the refrigerator for an hour or two, or until the custard is cold.
Remove plastic wrap, evenly spread out the whipped cream over the custard.
Now I have two ways to do the top pastry:
Method one: Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut the top pastry into the 9 pieces. Place the pieces over the cream, press down gently. Serve immediately or place covered in the refrigerator until needed. This method gives you a krempita that looks like the original recipe, but you will need a fork and knife to eat it as the pastry doesn't cut easily and it gets messy with custard oozing out the sides.
Method two: which I prefer. Roughly chop up the pastry into a large crumb, not too fine. Scatter the pastry, evenly over the cream. Serve immediately or place covered in the refrigerator until needed. This method gives you a krempita that is easy to slice and eat.
Just before serving dust the krempita with some sifted icing sugar.
Serves 9
2 sheets puff pastry
Custard Filling:
1 litre full cream milk
5 eggs, separated
250g caster sugar
1 packet (10g) vanilla sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
140g plain flour
200ml thickened cream, whipped
Icing sugar, for dusting
Preheat oven to 220C/200C fan forced.
Place the puff pastry sheets on 2 baking paper lined baking trays.
Prick the pastry all over with a fork to stop it puffing up. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until browned and crisp.
Place 900ml of the milk in a medium saucepan, place over a low heat and heat the milk to nearly boiling, but don't let it boil.
Place the remaining 100ml milk, the egg yolks, 150g sugar, vanilla sugar and the lemon zest in a medium sized bowl. Using electric beaters, whisk until thick and creamy. Add the flour, whisk until it is all incorporated with no lumps.
With the beaters running, slowly pour in the hot milk into the egg yolk mixture. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place over a low heat and with constant mixing, cook for about 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens like a custard.
Place the egg whites in a medium sized bowl with the remaining 100g caster sugar. Using clean beaters, whisk until you get stiff peaks. Now add 1/3 of the egg whites into the hot custard, whisk it in with a hand whisk, or use the electric beaters. Add 1/2 of the remaining egg whites, whisk in, then the remaining egg whites, whisk until it is all incorporated.
Place 1 sheet of pastry into the base of a 5cm deep cake tin that is the same size as the pastry, about 23cm x 23cm.
Pour the custard over the pastry, smooth out the surface. Place a layer of plastic wrap on the custard, then place in the refrigerator for an hour or two, or until the custard is cold.
Remove plastic wrap, evenly spread out the whipped cream over the custard.
Now I have two ways to do the top pastry:
Method one: Using scissors or a sharp knife, cut the top pastry into the 9 pieces. Place the pieces over the cream, press down gently. Serve immediately or place covered in the refrigerator until needed. This method gives you a krempita that looks like the original recipe, but you will need a fork and knife to eat it as the pastry doesn't cut easily and it gets messy with custard oozing out the sides.
Method two: which I prefer. Roughly chop up the pastry into a large crumb, not too fine. Scatter the pastry, evenly over the cream. Serve immediately or place covered in the refrigerator until needed. This method gives you a krempita that is easy to slice and eat.
Just before serving dust the krempita with some sifted icing sugar.
Enjoy!
Find the recipe at www.whatscookingella.com/krempita.html
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060695293859/
Pin it: www.pinterest.com.au/pin/399413060695293859/
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