Cream Slice

Here is a famous European dessert, with many names, depending on the country you are eating it in. In Poland it is called Kremówka, and it claim to fame is that pope John Paul II waged a bet with a friend to see who could eat the most squares of Kremówka, from a well-known Polish bakery. It turned out that he was able to eat over 18 servings. It is now also known in Polish Catholic circles as Papal cake. In Croatia and Slovene, it is called Kremšnita, In Austria and Germany it is called Cremeschnitte, in Hungarian and Slovak it is called Kremes. The English translation is Cream Slice. It might just be a slice of heaven. This dessert has a puff pastry base, with a cream filling and topped with more puff pastry. If you are short on fresh milk or cream, you can use 2 cans of evaporated milk, with 1/2 cup of water, for a delicious alternative to the 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of cream. On the farm, I try to keep several cans of evaporated milk in my pantry, and they always come in handy. I hope you enjoy this special dessert.

Cream Slice

3 cups milk

1 cup cream, any type

1 tablespoon vanilla

10 eggs separated

3/4 cup sugar plus 3 tablespoons

1/2 cup cornstarch

1 T butter

Puff pastry, frozen, for 2 9 x 13-inch

pans

Dusting of powdered sugar

(icing sugar)

Divide the puff pastry into two, and place half to cover the bottom if a 9 x 13” pan. Cut the other puff pastry that will fit a 9 x 13” pan into 12 pieces and arrange to fit on another 9 x 13” pan. Cook both pans of the puff pastry. In a heavy bottomed pot, combine the milk, vanilla, egg yolks, 3/4 cup sugar and cornstarch. Cook until very thick. Stir in the 1 tablespoon of butter. In a mixing bowls beat the egg whites, and add the 3 tablespoons of sugar. Beat until the egg whites are between the soft and stiff peak stage. Beat the egg whites into the slightly cooled but still hot custard mix. Pour the mixture over the puff pastry base. Sprinkle the 12 squares of puff pastry with a dusting of powdered sugar. Add the 12 puff pastry squares on top of the custard mixture. Chill thoroughly before serving, and cut into squares based on the 12 squares that this dessert is topped with. (The reason for the precut squares, is because the dessert will cut nicely, without the puff pastry breaking up.)