KARPATKA - Polish custard cake

My whole family love this dessert very much. They ALL like anything with custard. Once you know how to make this custard, you will be able to make good cream puff or napoleon cake type of dessert. This is dessert will need to make ahead. And it has two main steps, one is to prepare custard ahead of time. Second is to bake puff pastry. Both steps require cooling time. You cannot make this dessert when you are in a rush. It is just time consuming, but it is not hard to make it. When you finished preparing both main ingredients (Puff Pastry and Custard), you simply just need to assemble it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter (230 grams)
• 2 cups of milk (500 ml)
• 2/3 cup of sugar (150 grams)
• 1/3 cup of white flour (85 grams)
• 5 egg yolks
• vanilla bean
• puff pastry
• icing sugar for decorating

Instructions:

1. Flour your surface and roll out your puff pastry to 2 mm thick. Cut out two the same size rectangles. (I use letter size sheet of paper for guidance). Transfer the pastry onto the baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Cover with a tea towel and let it rest for at least one hour.
2. After one hour preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius and bake your pastry for around 20 minutes or until is nice and golden.  Set aside to cool down completely.
3. Pour your milk into the saucepan. Cut your vanilla bean and remove seeds. Add the seeds and the bean into your milk and bring almost to boil.
4. In a mixing bowl put your egg yolks and sugar and beat until it is light yellow and fluffy. Add your flour and mix until all is well combined. Slowly add your hot milk, constantly mixing. Transfer the mixture back into the saucepan and bring back on the stove.
5. Reduce heat and continue to cook and stir until thickened like pudding, at least 2 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature, covered with plastic wrap not to form the crust. Make sure filling is completely cool before 
6. beating in softened butter. 
7. Place one of the baked puff pastry and spread the cream evenly on top. Cover with the second puff pastry and gently press. Even out the sides with spatula and refrigerate overnight.
8. The next day cut into rectangles.
9.  When ready to serve, dust heavily with icing sugar.

Recipe source from: Napoleons cake or papal cream cake