European Custard Pastry Perfection: Krempita, Kremschnitte or Kremsnita

Krempita, Kremsnita or Kremschnitte is a deliciously light European vanilla cream slice. This has two layers, one bottom layer of cream chiboust and a top layer of whipped cream. If you have a Thermomix, this Krempita or Kremschnitte is an absolute cinch to make too!

Krempita, Kremšnita or Kremschnitte is found in a lot of European countries. In Germany they are called Cremeschnitte but in Croatia it is known as kremšnita. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro it is called Krempita (although in Montenegro it is made with three layers of pastry. In Hungary and Slovakia they are called krémes . And everyone has a favourite family recipe which they sometimes debate about. Some add sugar into the cream, others add chocolate on the very top layer.

Tips For Making Krempita, Kremschnitte or Kremsnita

1 - This vanilla slice is best made across a 2 day period to give the custard time to set.

2 - This version has puff pastry on the bottom and a double layer of puff pastry on the top. The top layer of pastry is cut into 16 squares before baking so that it is easier to slice up once assembled. I recommend adding the top layer before serving so that it remains crisp and then sieving icing sugar on top.

3 - If you have a Thermomix, then this vanilla slice is a cinch! Thermomixes make the best custard and there's no constant stirring and danger of getting lumps in the custard. You can make the meringue, custard and whipped cream in the Thermomix.

4 - I used a 20X20cm or 8x8inch square tin with very high sides. These pastries are tall in height because of the two layers.

5 - Usually 2 packets of vanillin sugar are used per slice but I didn't have any so I used vanilla bean paste. You can also add some lemon zest or rum to the custard if you like those flavours.

I first tried making this one weekend as I had intended to bring it to a family birthday. Mr NQN's sister's husband Laporello is Croatian and was having his birthday. While he and I don't see eye to eye on most things, especially politics and feminism, I thought that he would probably like kremšnita as his mother Buba had passed away a while back and she was an amazing cook.

All of the kremšnita/krempita recipes that I came across didn't use gelatine to set their cream chiboust (creme patisserie and meringue). I've never really had chiboust that is so robust that it can stand on its own (like in a thick slice) but I figured I'd go with what they were saying. Unfortunately it didn't set at all, it was an oozy, gooey mixture even after overnight refrigeration. The problem was that it was delicious.

I really wanted to re-make it because I love any sort of vanilla slice. Also the ones in Australia doesn't have the top layer of whipped cream nor does it use cream chiboust. Maybe ingredients are different in Europe or maybe something was lost in translation! I prefer to use gelatine rather than flour to thicken up a custard as I think adding too much flour makes the texture a bit "furry" on the tongue haha. My popular vanilla slice recipe has whipped cream and gelatine mixed into the custard layer.

However as it was a bit of a dismal failure there wasn't any for him but I was determined to make it again. It was Valentina's birthday coming up and we were going out to dinner. I finished this krempita off by noon and relieved that we had a birthday cake I let Valentina know that I was bringing along a birthday cake. She had chosen a restaurant to go to for her birthday. I hadn't heard of it before so I asked her where she had heard about it from. She told me that she had heard about it from her colleague who raved about it. I asked her what his taste was like because everyone has different tastes. She thought about it and wasn't quite sure.

The restaurant was absolutely full to the brim with not a table to spare. It had a retro vibe to it and this was reflected on the menu. The dinner was fine, some dishes were nice and they were very sweet and friendly. The nicest part was that when I asked them about the cost for cakeage they said that it was free which is very unusual. I've seen some places that only accept cakes from certain vendors or ones that they are affiliated to or that they make in-house so I guess that just adds to their charm and perhaps that's one of the reasons why they had their own devoted market and her colleague raved about it!

So tell me Dear Reader, what has been the most you've paid for cakeage? Have you ever made or tried a Krempita, Kremschnitte or Kremšnita?

Krempita Kremschnitte Kremšnita

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus overnight setting

Cooking time: 20 minutes

• 550g/3 sheets butter puff pastry
• 670ml/23.6flozs whole milk
• 4 eggs, large
• 200g/7ozs caster or superfine sugar, divided in equal halves
• 80g/2.8ozs cornflour/fine cornstarch
• 70g/2.5ozs plain all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
• 1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs water
• 2 tablespoons/20g/ gelatine powder
• 2 cups/500ml/0.8pint thickened or pure cream
• 80g/2.8ozs caster or superfine sugar
• 1 tablespoon icing or powdered sugar to finish

Step 1 - You will need a 20x20x10cm or 8x8x4inch square tin with very high sides for this. Preheat oven to 180C/350F fan forced and line two trays with parchment. Place on square of puff pastry on one tray and dock all over with a fork. Bake for 15 minutes.

Step 2 -Then with the other 2 sheets of puff pastry, place one on top of another and place the square baking tin on top and score to fit the tin and trim excess pastry off. Cut the pastry into 16 equal sized squares but not cutting all the way through (they should be 5x5cm or 2.5x2.5inches each) and keep in the fridge until needed. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

Step 3 -Line the baking tin well using parchment that overhangs (to make it easier to lift out of the tin). Cut the single sheet of pastry to fit the baking tin and place in the bottom of the tin.

Step 4a Conventional - Separate the eggs making sure that there is no yolk in the whites at all. Place the egg whites in a clean bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk until you get soft peaks. Add half of the sugar in a thin stream and whisk until you get a thick, glossy meringue and you can tip the bowl upside down without it moving. Set aside.

Step 4b Thermomix- Separate the eggs making sure that there is no yolk in the whites at all. Place the egg whites in a very clean Thermomix bowl with a butterfly whisk attachment and set to 4 minutes, 37C, speed 3.5. Remove the MC and set to 4 mins, 37C, speed 3 and gradually pour in half of the sugar. Watch to see that it has become shiny and glossy. Scoop out and set aside.

Step 5a Conventional - Whisk the yolks, the remaining half of the sugar, two types of flour and 1/2 cup (125ml/4flozs) of the milk and vanilla together in a bowl or jug until smooth. Place the remaining milk in a medium saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Turn down the heat on the milk to low and whisk in one ladle of the hot milk into the yolk mixture and add one more ladle of milk and whisk in to temper the yolks. Then slowly add the yolk mixture to the milk mixture stirring well to prevent it catching. It should thicken up gradually.

Step 5b Thermomix - Place the yolks, the remaining half of the sugar, two types of flour, milk and vanilla into the Thermomix bowl and set to 9 minutes, 90C, speed #4.

Step 6 -In a wide soup bowl place the water and sprinkle with the gelatine powder making sure to evenly distribute it across the surface of the water. The top should wrinkle and swell.

Step 7 -When the custard is thick and ready turn off the heat. Place the gelatine bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds on high or until it becomes liquid. Whisk in the gelatine mixture to the custard while both are hot-they need to be the same temperature, otherwise lumps will form. Thermomix-add gelatine to the bowl of custard and set to 15 seconds, speed #4. Then while everything is still hot add this custard to a large bowl and add a dollop of the reserved meringue and fold to combine. Gradually add more meringue until you get a light, cohesive mixture without any streaks at all. Scoop into the tin on top of the pastry and smooth over with an angled spatula until smooth. Cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.

Step 8a Conventional - Place a mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 minutes. Add the cream and the sugar to the bowl and whisk until you get thick, whipped cream.

Step 8b Thermomix - Place the TM bowl in the freezer for 5 minutes. Insert the butterfly whisk and add the cream and sugar. Set to speed #4 for 1 minute but remove the MC and watch for when the cream is thick and whipped. Stop it as soon as you can see that the cream is whipped thick enough.

Step 9 -Spoon the cream on top of the set custard. Remove the custard and pastry from the tin using the parchment to grip and then discard the parchment. Then take the pastry squares and cut them to separate them. Place them on top of the cream and sift icing sugar on top. Cut into squares using a sharp chef's knife.