This bakery's mess-free trick will change how you cut vanilla slices forever

Of all the sweet treats Aussies have been blessed with, the classic vanilla slice has to be one of the greatest. Is anything better than the light and fluffy combination of custard, cream and puff pastry?

But with this delicious treat comes one inevitable struggle—how do we cut it properly?


Some people have different techniques—crumbling the vanilla slices into small pieces or flattening the delicious layers of custard and pastry. But generally, any efforts to cut the pastry leaves a sticky, oozing mess.

Luckily, professional bakers from Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse in Melbourne have come to our rescue with the simple, mess-free trick we've all been waiting for


Photo_20231006_104850_0000.png
Professional bakers from Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse shared a technique to correctly cut a vanilla slice. Credit: @fergusonplarresbakehouse/TikTok


In a video on their social media, they demonstrated cutting the vanilla slice from the top. However, this technique flattens the pastry's structure and spills its custard filling.


This trick is all about first turning the slice on its side so that your knife is exerting most of its pressure onto the vanilla custard. This 'correct' way to cut it up involves minimal mess and ensures all the layers of the vanilla slice stay intact.


Photo_20231006_104926_0000.png
They advised to turn the pastry to the side for a clean cut. Credit: @fergusonplarresbakehouse/TikTok


Many of their followers were surprised at this method, with one writing: ‘You mean I can eat them in a way that won’t squish all the custard out!?’

Another asked, ‘Why have I never thought of this?’

A third person declared, ‘I better go get a dozen to try this,’ while someone said: ‘This is actually so helpful.’


However, other social media users noted that they don’t need to cut it to enjoy the delicious pastry.

‘Why are you cutting a vanilla slice? They should be inhaled whole,’ a person remarked.

Another joked: ‘Thank you, but if I start cutting a vanilla slice, I’ve given up on life. I ain’t sharing that.’

‘I just shove the whole thing in my mouth and hope for the best,’ someone shared.

But in the end, this knowledge is out in the open for everyone to benefit from! No more wasteful vanilla slices, and no more mess. It's a win-win!

Craving for one? You might want to buy one from the bakery which does it best! Previously, we shared an article on the winner of 2023 Australia’s Best Vanilla Slice. You can find out who won first place here.


But if you want to enjoy a perfect, mess-free vanilla slice at home, this is the recipe from Four Ingredients you should follow:

Ingredients
  • 200g packet lattice biscuits
  • 600mL cream
  • 100g packet vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 2 passionfruit pulp
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened
Instructions
  1. Line a baking paper on a 20 x 30cm lasagna dish.
  2. Place a layer of eight lattice biscuits flat side up.
  3. Mix cream and pudding in a bowl with electric beaters until it thickens
  4. Place a layer of the creamy mixture over the biscuit base.
  5. Add another layer of biscuits with their shiny side up.
  6. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before topping with passionfruit icing.
  7. For the icing, mix icing sugar, passionfruit and butter and spread it evenly at the top of the pastry. If required, add more passionfruit.
You can watch how they made it here:



Key Takeaways
  • Professional bakers from Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse in Melbourne have revealed the 'correct' way to cut a vanilla slice to avoid squishing the custard and ruining the puff pastry.
  • They recommend turning the slice on its side and exerting most of the knife’s pressure onto the custard for minimal mess and spillage.
  • The information shared on how to correctly cut a vanilla slice has left foodies stunned, with many joking about the advice.
  • The article also includes a simple recipe for making a vanilla slice, with step-by-step instructions and measurements for each ingredient.

SDC members, now that you've heard the mess-free trick to the perfect vanilla slice, there are no more excuses for not making one yourself at home!

What do you think about the cutting technique, members? Do you like vanilla slices? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
 
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I have seen this recipe before but where - OH WHERE - do you buy lattice biscuits these days? I haven't seen them in supermarkets for years.
Gone the way of the dodo.
I make my own substitute using el-cheapo generic puff pastry sheets, laid out on baking paper, brushed very lightly with milk, dusted 50/50 with caster sugar and Natvia sweetener (I'm Type 2), scored into 80mm squares and roasted on a flat tray 220 degrees fan-forced for about 12 minutes. Watch like a hawk because they burn easily! If you seriously want the little holes and have the patience so to do, use a satay skewer to poke as many holes into each square as you like. The result is crunchy like a Lattice but about half the thickness.
If you really want to live dangerously, substitute Arkadia Chai Honey & Ginger powder for the Natvia! (the pack I bought had an all-black label; maybe they updated their packaging?)
1703625814120.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ezzy and DLHM
I probably eat a vanilla slice differently to most people.
A group of us go riding regularly and mostly have lunch at a bakery.
I normally have a pie and a vanilla slice.
With a knife, I remove the top layer of pastry and icing and eat that as I would eat a biscuit.
That is extremely yummy.
I then eat the rest without squashing the custard everywhere.
Two others in the group now eat them the same way.
You're welcome!!
 
Lattice biscuits are discontinued but you can use Hup Seng Sugar Crackers from Asian food store.
About $3.50 per packet.
 
That's all well and good if you are just wanting to cut one. I make my own and there is no way on earth I'm going to be able to cut into it to make individual squares by turning the whole tray on its side. It would be carnage. If you have a really sharp knife and don't hack at it, then it cuts just fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DLHM
I have seen this recipe before but where - OH WHERE - do you buy lattice biscuits these days? I haven't seen them in supermarkets for years.
Sadly neither Cole’s or Woolworths have them, maybe someone has found an alternative?
 
Of all the sweet treats Aussies have been blessed with, the classic vanilla slice has to be one of the greatest. Is anything better than the light and fluffy combination of custard, cream and puff pastry?

But with this delicious treat comes one inevitable struggle—how do we cut it properly?


Some people have different techniques—crumbling the vanilla slices into small pieces or flattening the delicious layers of custard and pastry. But generally, any efforts to cut the pastry leaves a sticky, oozing mess.

Luckily, professional bakers from Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse in Melbourne have come to our rescue with the simple, mess-free trick we've all been waiting for


View attachment 31575
Professional bakers from Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse shared a technique to correctly cut a vanilla slice. Credit: @fergusonplarresbakehouse/TikTok


In a video on their social media, they demonstrated cutting the vanilla slice from the top. However, this technique flattens the pastry's structure and spills its custard filling.


This trick is all about first turning the slice on its side so that your knife is exerting most of its pressure onto the vanilla custard. This 'correct' way to cut it up involves minimal mess and ensures all the layers of the vanilla slice stay intact.


View attachment 31574
They advised to turn the pastry to the side for a clean cut. Credit: @fergusonplarresbakehouse/TikTok


Many of their followers were surprised at this method, with one writing: ‘You mean I can eat them in a way that won’t squish all the custard out!?’

Another asked, ‘Why have I never thought of this?’

A third person declared, ‘I better go get a dozen to try this,’ while someone said: ‘This is actually so helpful.’


However, other social media users noted that they don’t need to cut it to enjoy the delicious pastry.

‘Why are you cutting a vanilla slice? They should be inhaled whole,’ a person remarked.

Another joked: ‘Thank you, but if I start cutting a vanilla slice, I’ve given up on life. I ain’t sharing that.’

‘I just shove the whole thing in my mouth and hope for the best,’ someone shared.

But in the end, this knowledge is out in the open for everyone to benefit from! No more wasteful vanilla slices, and no more mess. It's a win-win!

Craving for one? You might want to buy one from the bakery which does it best! Previously, we shared an article on the winner of 2023 Australia’s Best Vanilla Slice. You can find out who won first place here.


But if you want to enjoy a perfect, mess-free vanilla slice at home, this is the recipe from Four Ingredients you should follow:

Ingredients
  • 200g packet lattice biscuits
  • 600mL cream
  • 100g packet vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 2 passionfruit pulp
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened
Instructions
  1. Line a baking paper on a 20 x 30cm lasagna dish.
  2. Place a layer of eight lattice biscuits flat side up.
  3. Mix cream and pudding in a bowl with electric beaters until it thickens
  4. Place a layer of the creamy mixture over the biscuit base.
  5. Add another layer of biscuits with their shiny side up.
  6. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before topping with passionfruit icing.
  7. For the icing, mix icing sugar, passionfruit and butter and spread it evenly at the top of the pastry. If required, add more passionfruit.
You can watch how they made it here:



Key Takeaways

  • Professional bakers from Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse in Melbourne have revealed the 'correct' way to cut a vanilla slice to avoid squishing the custard and ruining the puff pastry.
  • They recommend turning the slice on its side and exerting most of the knife’s pressure onto the custard for minimal mess and spillage.
  • The information shared on how to correctly cut a vanilla slice has left foodies stunned, with many joking about the advice.
  • The article also includes a simple recipe for making a vanilla slice, with step-by-step instructions and measurements for each ingredient.

SDC members, now that you've heard the mess-free trick to the perfect vanilla slice, there are no more excuses for not making one yourself at home!

What do you think about the cutting technique, members? Do you like vanilla slices? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Yum, but I thought lattice biscuits had been dicontinued.
 
That's all well and good if you are just wanting to cut one. I make my own and there is no way on earth I'm going to be able to cut into it to make individual squares by turning the whole tray on its side. It would be carnage. If you have a really sharp knife and don't hack at it, then it cuts just fine.
A sharp knife dipped in very hot water lets it slide through more easily.
 
I probably eat a vanilla slice differently to most people.
A group of us go riding regularly and mostly have lunch at a bakery.
I normally have a pie and a vanilla slice.
With a knife, I remove the top layer of pastry and icing and eat that as I would eat a biscuit.
That is extremely yummy.
I then eat the rest without squashing the custard everywhere.
Two others in the group now eat them the same way.
You're welcome!!
I find that if I slice the filling in half and eat it like a biscuit with a topping. Just have to watch that the half with the icing sugar on doesn't fill your lap with it!
 
  • Haha
Reactions: DLHM
Why do all the recipes I've seen recently use vanilla pudding? I used to make vanilla slices with lattice biscuits but used actual custard (made pretty thick) - now that's a vanilla slice
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ezzy and DLHM
Of all the sweet treats Aussies have been blessed with, the classic vanilla slice has to be one of the greatest. Is anything better than the light and fluffy combination of custard, cream and puff pastry?

But with this delicious treat comes one inevitable struggle—how do we cut it properly?


Some people have different techniques—crumbling the vanilla slices into small pieces or flattening the delicious layers of custard and pastry. But generally, any efforts to cut the pastry leaves a sticky, oozing mess.

Luckily, professional bakers from Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse in Melbourne have come to our rescue with the simple, mess-free trick we've all been waiting for


View attachment 31575
Professional bakers from Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse shared a technique to correctly cut a vanilla slice. Credit: @fergusonplarresbakehouse/TikTok


In a video on their social media, they demonstrated cutting the vanilla slice from the top. However, this technique flattens the pastry's structure and spills its custard filling.


This trick is all about first turning the slice on its side so that your knife is exerting most of its pressure onto the vanilla custard. This 'correct' way to cut it up involves minimal mess and ensures all the layers of the vanilla slice stay intact.


View attachment 31574
They advised to turn the pastry to the side for a clean cut. Credit: @fergusonplarresbakehouse/TikTok


Many of their followers were surprised at this method, with one writing: ‘You mean I can eat them in a way that won’t squish all the custard out!?’

Another asked, ‘Why have I never thought of this?’

A third person declared, ‘I better go get a dozen to try this,’ while someone said: ‘This is actually so helpful.’


However, other social media users noted that they don’t need to cut it to enjoy the delicious pastry.

‘Why are you cutting a vanilla slice? They should be inhaled whole,’ a person remarked.

Another joked: ‘Thank you, but if I start cutting a vanilla slice, I’ve given up on life. I ain’t sharing that.’

‘I just shove the whole thing in my mouth and hope for the best,’ someone shared.

But in the end, this knowledge is out in the open for everyone to benefit from! No more wasteful vanilla slices, and no more mess. It's a win-win!

Craving for one? You might want to buy one from the bakery which does it best! Previously, we shared an article on the winner of 2023 Australia’s Best Vanilla Slice. You can find out who won first place here.


But if you want to enjoy a perfect, mess-free vanilla slice at home, this is the recipe from Four Ingredients you should follow:

Ingredients
  • 200g packet lattice biscuits
  • 600mL cream
  • 100g packet vanilla pudding mix
  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 2 passionfruit pulp
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened
Instructions
  1. Line a baking paper on a 20 x 30cm lasagna dish.
  2. Place a layer of eight lattice biscuits flat side up.
  3. Mix cream and pudding in a bowl with electric beaters until it thickens
  4. Place a layer of the creamy mixture over the biscuit base.
  5. Add another layer of biscuits with their shiny side up.
  6. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before topping with passionfruit icing.
  7. For the icing, mix icing sugar, passionfruit and butter and spread it evenly at the top of the pastry. If required, add more passionfruit.
You can watch how they made it here:



Key Takeaways

  • Professional bakers from Ferguson Plarre's Bakehouse in Melbourne have revealed the 'correct' way to cut a vanilla slice to avoid squishing the custard and ruining the puff pastry.
  • They recommend turning the slice on its side and exerting most of the knife’s pressure onto the custard for minimal mess and spillage.
  • The information shared on how to correctly cut a vanilla slice has left foodies stunned, with many joking about the advice.
  • The article also includes a simple recipe for making a vanilla slice, with step-by-step instructions and measurements for each ingredient.

SDC members, now that you've heard the mess-free trick to the perfect vanilla slice, there are no more excuses for not making one yourself at home!

What do you think about the cutting technique, members? Do you like vanilla slices? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Another thought is to cut it through horizontally so that the pastry is not affected. You end up with the top and bottom halves, each with half of the creamy centre evenly on it like an open face sandwich. If you have a really sweet tooth, then you eat the top part (with the icing) last.
 

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