Blueberry slice with custard

A delightful blueberry slice with custard – featuring a buttery almond shortcrust base, a light vanilla custard cream and a glossy blueberry topping. It’s a simple yet elegant dessert, cut into neat squares and you can even bake it as a tart, if you prefer. With all the flavours you love in one bake, it’s sure to be a hit.

Ingredients for the shortcrust base:

• 150 g plain flour
• 50 g ground almonds
• 100 g cold butter, diced
• 50 g icing sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• a pinch of salt

Sift the flour, add the ground almonds and butter, and cut together until crumbly. Add the yolk, icing sugar and salt, then quickly bring into a dough (or use a food processor). Shape into a ball, flatten slightly, wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Line a 20 × 30 cm tin with baking parchment. Roll out the chilled dough, transfer to the tin and chill again for 60 minutes. Prick with a fork before baking.

Bake at 180°C for about 18 minutes, until lightly golden. Leave to cool.

Ingredients for the custard cream:

• 1 packet vanilla custard powder (for 500 ml milk, unsweetened)
• 250 ml milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 250 g mascarpone, chilled
• 6 g powdered gelatine + 40 ml cold water

Prepare the custard with 250 ml milk and sugar (half the usual liquid), following packet instructions. Cover with cling film directly on the surface and leave to cool, then chill.

Bloom the gelatine, then gently heat until dissolved (do not boil). Leave to cool slightly.

Whip the mascarpone briefly until smooth. Gradually add the chilled custard, mixing until a smooth cream forms. Stir a little cream into the gelatine to temper it, then add back into the mixture and mix until combined. Spread the cream over the cooled base and chill for about 3 hours.

Ingredients for the blueberry topping:

• 250 g blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 teaspoon powdered gelatine (3 g)
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon potato starch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

Bloom the gelatine. Heat the blueberries with sugar until juicy. Add lemon juice and the starch mixture, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat. Add the gelatine and stir until dissolved. Leave to cool (but not set), then pour over the custard layer. Chill until fully set.

Store in the fridge.

Enjoy!