Creamy Mango Pastry Stack

Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons vanilla custard powder (not vanilla pudding)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (almond or coconut is also delicious)
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons milk, extra
• 300 ml thickened cream, lightly whipped
• 2 large mangoes, peeled and sliced
• 4 sheets puff pastry

Recipe

• 1 heat milk in a heavy based saucepan (until hot but not boiling).
• 2 in a bowl beat the custard powder, sugar, egg yolks, extract and extra milk until thick and pale (3 minutes).
• 3 pour over the hot milk and mix well (i use a whisk to stop lumps).
• 4 stir over a low heat stirring constantly until thick and glossy. transfer to a bowl and cover with cling wrap or baking paper (to prevent a "skin" forming). chill until cold.
• 5 once cold, fold through the whipped cream (this process can be done 24 hours ahead of time and the custard cream will be ready for assembly).
• 6 pre-heat your oven to 210oc and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
• 7 cut each puff pastry sheet in half length ways (remove the plastic) and bake until cooked, puffy and golden (about 15 minutes). let cool on the sheet completely (this can be done up to 12 hours ahead of time and stored in an air tight container ready for assembly - be sure that it is cold when storing though as any steam will make the pastry soggy).
• 8 place one of the pastry sheets on a pretty rectangular serving platter, top with 1/4 of the custard cream (carefully spread of the pastry) and 1/4 of the sliced mangoes. repeat for the remaining 3 layers, topping with custard cream and mangoes.
• 9 once "constructed" or assembled serve as quick as you can (the pastry will go soggy fast). i get everything ready in the morning and assemble this while chatting to guests (yes, it looks so easy!)
• 10 note: strawberries, raspberries, peaches almost any fruit can be used instead of mangoes (no citrus though!).