Cremes, Romanian vanilla custard pastry

Name: Cremes, Romanian vanilla custard pastry
Ingredients: 400 g puff pastry; 1000 ml milk; 4 eggs; 6 tablespoons sugar; 4 tablespoons flour; 1 sachet (8 g) vanilla sugar; 15 g icing sugar

Dessert - Cremes, Romanian vanilla custard pastry by Aida N. - Recipia

Cremes is a Romanian puff pastry dessert with vanilla custard and a top layer of pastry crumbled over the filling. I like to spread the custard while it’s still slightly warm; when I serve it after lunch, I chill it from the night before so I can portion it without rushing. Preparation: 20 minutes. Cooking: 38 minutes. Resting: 3 hours and 10 minutes. Total time: 4 hours and 8 minutes. Servings: 8. Approximately 370 kcal and 10 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

400 g puff pastry
1000 ml milk
4 eggs
6 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1 sachet (8 g) vanilla sugar
15 g icing sugar

Preparation

1. Divide the pastry in two and roll each piece out to fit the baking tray. Heat the oven to 180°C and place a sheet of baking paper on the back of the tray. 2. Prick the pastry sheets all over with a fork. Bake them one at a time for 15 minutes each, until golden. Leave one whole and crumble the other into small pieces. 3. Bring the milk to a boil. Mix the eggs with the sugar, flour and vanilla sugar, then pour the mixture into the boiling milk. Stir continuously for 8 minutes, until it thickens like pudding. 4. Leave the custard to cool for 10 minutes, just until it’s still warm. Pour it over the whole pastry sheet and scatter the pieces from the other sheet on top. 5. Chill the dessert for 3 hours. Dust with icing sugar before serving.

Notes

Frozen puff pastry should thaw slowly in the fridge; roll it out while it’s still cold, as it softens quickly on the counter. Milk with a higher fat content makes a richer custard, and semi-skimmed milk works too, though the filling tastes less rich. With store-bought puff pastry, check that you can get two sheets the size of your tray, as packs come in different sizes. This dessert contains gluten, dairy and eggs. I make it the day before when I’m serving it after lunch, so I don’t have to rush to portion it before it’s cold. Covered, it keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days, but the top layer gradually loses its crispness. The custard is reminiscent of ordinary vanilla pudding, here sandwiched between layers of puff pastry. I serve it with black coffee, which goes well after a serving of custard.