Instructions
Vanilla custard:
Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.
Add the egg yolks one at a time, incorporating each yolk carefully and slowly. Next, add the corn starch, vanilla extract, and finely grated lemon zest and combine it with the help of a plastic spatula.
Heat the milk: In the meantime, heat the milk well. Do that in a jug; it will be easier to pour the milk over the egg mixture. Or transfer the milk to a jug after heating it.
Mix: Very slowly pour the milk over the egg mixture. Keep the jug in the left hand if you are right-handed and the electric mixer in the right hand. Pour in a thin stream while mixing.
Transfer the egg-milk mixture back to the jug/pan where you heated the milk, if large enough. If not use a large pot.
Cook custard: Place on low heat and bring to a simmer while whisking continuously. It will be like making a pudding; this is also the consistency you will have to reach. So keep whisking (I do that with a regular whisk this time) until you get a thick pudding; it will not take long, about 3-4 minutes, depending on the size of the pot. Make sure to regularly reach the bottom and the walls of your pan with the whisk to avoid the custard catching at the bottom.
You will not be able to see the custard in the pot very well at this point as there will be a lot of foam on top. But you will be able to feel it when it thickens, stirring will become less easy. The foam will disappear once you start stirring in the butter.
Add butter: Take off the heat and add the cubed butter, 1 or 2 small pieces at a time, while whisking continuously to help them melt and incorporate in the custard.
Leave to cool for a while; the filling should be lukewarm when you spread it on the pastry.
Cremeschnitte:
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius/ 430 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cut pastry: It is preferable to cut one of the pastry sheets into squares (15) before baking, it will be much easier to cut the whole cake into pieces once it is baked.
Bake the puff pastry sheets one after another according to the packet’s instructions or until golden brown. It took me about 12 minutes but keep an eye on them and read the instructions. Leave to cool completely.
Fill: Place the uncut pastry sheet on a rectangular serving plate, press it down gently if too puffed up. Spread the vanilla custard evenly on top. Place the pastry squares on top and press gently.
Refrigerate for one or two hours and sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.
Cut: If you didn’t cut the squares before baking, cut the pieces with an electric knife.
Serve: The cremsnit is best served on the day it is made, this way the pastry will still be crunchy. It is still delicious the next day, but the pastry will become rather soggy.
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