Name: Golden syrup vanilla slice recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 9
Ingredients: 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted; 600ml thickened cream; 1 cup milk; 100g pudding mix; 1/4 cup golden syrup; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 380g tin Top ’n’ Fill caramel; 1/4 cup cream, extra; 30g dark chocolate, grated (optional)

by Greer Worsley Last updated on 12/10/2020

If you like caramel flavours, then this vanilla slice is just the thing. The custard filling is sweetened with golden syrup and brown sugar, and the Top ’n’ Fill caramel topping is literally the icing on the cake! - Greer Worsley

Ingredients

2 sheets frozen puff pastry, defrosted
600ml thickened cream
1 cup milk
100g pudding mix
1/4 cup golden syrup
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
380g tin Top ’n’ Fill caramel
1/4 cup cream, extra
30g dark chocolate, grated (optional)

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180C. Place a sheet of puff pastry on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Top with a second sheet of baking paper and another oven tray. Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Repeat with second sheet of puff pastry.
Step 2

Place cream and milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle over pudding mix. Beat for 3-4 minutes until thick. Add golden syrup, brown sugar and vanilla and beat to combine.
Step 3

Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper, leaving plenty overhanging to make it easy to lift the finished slice out. Trim cooked puff pastry sheets into 20cm squares. Place one sheet in the base of the lined tin. Add cream mixture and smooth the top. Top with second sheet of pastry. Refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight, to cool and set.
Step 4

Place Top ’n’ Fill in a small saucepan with extra cream. Whisk continuously over gentle heat until smooth and glossy, being careful to not let it boil or catch on the bottom. Transfer most of the caramel to a bowl and allow to cool, leaving approximately 1/4 cup of caramel in saucepan. Add chocolate and stir to melt, then transfer to another bowl to cool.
Step 5

Using overhanging baking paper, gently lift slice out of tin and place on a board or rack. Spread caramel a thick layer over the top. Place chocolate caramel mix in a small zip log bag. Snip one of the corners and pipe thin lines approximately 3cm apart over the Top ’n’ Fill icing. Drag a skewer through the lines to create a scalloped pattern.
Step 6

Slice into squares.

Recipe Notes

from Australia’s Best Recipes team

It’s very tricky to cut tidy slices of this! Place the slice on a chopping board and use a very sharp serrated knife to cut through the top layer of pastry in a gentle sawing motion. Then switch to a sharp kitchen knife to slice straight through to the bottom.

Any leftover caramel or chocolate icing can be enjoyed on ice-cream or eaten straight from the spoon!

Recipe and photo by Greer Worsley.