Ocean Grove Rolling Pin Pies and Cakes

Looks are deceiving.  Unfortunately (although it does not alter the taste in the slightest) the appearance of the Slice was affected by the packaging.  That aside, this was a delicious slice with a lovely custard texture.  Check out the website at www.rollingpin.com.au

 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5 (not too sticky)
• Custard - 8.5 (fresh with a smooth texture and not too creamy)
• Pastry - 8
• Appearance - 8 (allowance made for "handling error")
• Overall rating - 8.5

Kaddy's Kyneton

Another individual tasting Vanilla Slice.  The custard had the just-right creamy texture, the icing had chocolate crumbs (can't say no to a Flake) but the pastry was very disappointing (Sao or similar type biscuit base).

 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8 (lovely unique icing with flaked chocolate on top)
• Custard - 7.5 (fresh and not too creamy)
• Pastry - 5 (see above)
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 7.5 (the "pastry" was very disappointing)

Kemp's at Kilmore

Wow, what was surprising (and not in a nice way) was the icing; it was extremely thick and made eating the Slice rather difficult.  I really cannot say much more about this Vanilla Slice.

 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 5 (way too thick (at least 3/8" and overpowering)
• Custard - 7 (fresh and not too creamy)
• Pastry - 7.5
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 7.5

Dunolly Bakery

What a lovely surprise when a friend presented me with this Vanilla Slice from Dunolly (with thanks to her mother who made the trip with it).  Sharon (rightly so) raved about the "Vanilla Slice from Dunolly".  They even have a website http://www.dunollybakery.com.au/index.html

 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5 (not too sticky)
• Custard - 8 (fresh with a smooth texture and not too creamy)
• Pastry - 8.5 (lovely crisp pastry which was easy to chew [nothing worse than soggy VS pastry])
• Appearance - 9
• Overall rating - 8.5

Bourkies Bakehouse Woodend

I finally got to try a Vanilla Slice from the infamous Bakery at Woodend which also has a webte at http://www.bourkies.com.au/index.php .  This Slice has such a reputation and has won quite a few awards.   Whilst it is much creamier than I prefer (again, I prefer the old fashioned "custard" Vanillae Slice), I would rate this slice very high if it is a creamier Vanilla Slice (French Vanilla) you are after.

 

My rating on this slice is :-

• Icing - 8.5 (not too sticky nor dry)
• Custard - 7.5(fresh but too creamy for my liking)
• Pastry - 8.5 (lovely pastry)
• Appearance - 9
• Overall rating - 8

Tatura Bakery

This time a Vanilla Slice from the Award-winning Tatura Bakery (most recently they won the Award in 2011).  Check out their webside at http://www.taturahotbread.com.au/

This is a very nice slice :-

• Icing - 7
• Custard - 8
• Pastry - 7.5 (pastry was nicely baked)
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 8

McShanag's Pie Shop Castlemaine

A Vanilla Slice from another Bakery in Castlemaine - the photo says enough.  The pastry was undercook and the custard was gluggy. 

 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 4 (very sugary) 
• Custard - 5 (thick texture and very gluggy)
• Pastry -4.5 (I don't particularly like underbaked pastry and this it what it tasted like )
• Appearance - 6 
• Overall rating - 6

Castlemaine Wesley Hill Bakehouse

This slice is from a bakery in Castlemaine.  WOW, what a lovely slice.  Creamy but not too overpowering that you can't taste the custard.  Scrumptious, flaky pastry was a nice, different take on the pastry. 

Unfortunately, the photo doesn't do the slice any justice.  Blame the photographer.

 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5
• Custard - 8.5 (see above) 
• Pastry - 8.5
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 8.5

Eaglehawk Bakery

Eaglehawk's Vanilla Slice was very enjoyable indeed with an old-fashioned appearance.  These country bakeries certainly know their cakes.

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5
• Custard - 8 (lovely texture with a slight creamy touch)
• Pastry - 8.5 
• Appearance - 8 
• Overall rating - 8.5

Gillies Pie Shop Bendigo

Gillies Pies in Bendigo is a notorious pie and pastrie shop, using local products.  The pies are well known to all, but what about their cakes - more importantly, their Vanilla Slices?   Well I must say I was pleasantly surprised; I didn't really think their Vanilla Slice may be up to standard, because their expertise is in pies. 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5 (not too sticky nor dry)
• Custard - 8 (fresh with a smooth texture)
• Pastry - 8.5 (this pastry was very palatable)
• Appearance - 9 (another double-decker Slice) 
• Overall rating - 8.5

Trentham Bakery

This looks like yet another a vanilla slice I remember from my childhood.  It was nice, but not as spectacular as I would expect from a country bakery.  Anyhow...this slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 7 (a standard glace icing)
• Custard - 7 (dubious about it being fresh but rather more like, a day old)
• Pastry - 7.5 (pastry was nicely baked)
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 7.5

Hudaks Bakery Mildura

This time it is a Vanilla Slice from the border, Mildura. Again, this looks like a vanilla slice from bygone years however with a softer custard centre.

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8 (a standard glace icing)
• Custard - 8.5(fresh with a light texture)
• Pastry - 8 (light flaky pastry )
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 8

Benalla Hide's Bakery

This Vanilla Slice is a double decker slice with pastry, a layer of custard, another layer of pastry, another layer of custard, and yet another layer of pastry for the top with icing sugar.  It is extremely high and thus, a little difficult to eat elegantly -one needs to place it on its side.

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8 (icing sugar)
• Custard - 7 (a scrumptious light texture which is not too creamy)
• Pastry - 8 (lovely flaky pastry)
• Appearance - 9
• Overall rating 8 .5

Myrtleford Heiner's Bakery

This looks like the most perfect Vanilla Slice.  High, soft and creamy in texture and oh so fresh.  But what is it rated?

 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8 (icing sugar which I have recently discovered is a bit messy to eat)
• Custard - 7 (a light texture however it was probably just a little too creamy with the custard flavour difficult to distinguish; there is nothing wrong with this but as a personal preference a Vanilla Slice is reknown for the custard inbetween and I like this flavour to be more noticeable)
• Pastry - 8.5 (lovely flaky pastry)
• Appearance - 9
• Overall rating 8

Kyneton Bakery

This looks like a vanilla slice I remember from my childhood - the pink gooey icing was a giveaway.  However, it was very nice and not your standard "snot box".

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8 (a standard glace icing)
• Custard - 8 (fresh with a light texture)
• Pastry - 8 (lovely flaky pastry which was easy to eat)
• Appearance - 8
• Overall rating - 8

Wickedly Deevine Kyabram Bakery

WOW!  This was a wonderful Vanilla Slice.  I cannot recall ever having a Vanilla Slice with icing sugar on top, but it worked!

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5 (a nice change to glace icing)
• Custard - 8 (fresh, smooth and light)
• Pastry - 8.5 (lovely pastry which was easy to chomp through)
• Appearance - 9
• Overall rating - 8.5

I'm off now to exercise - my dedication to this blog amazes me; I devoured two Vanilla Slices today!

Numurkah Bakery

This slice comes from the Numurkah Bakery, a country town in Victoria.  The slice looks appealing although I must admit, and it is a personal opinion, am not fond of the dark bases.

In any event, my rating is :-

• Icing - 5 (slighty over-powering which may have been the lemon-like taste)
• Custard - 8 (fresh with a creamy texture)
• Pastry - 6.5 (again, I'm not too fond of the darker crisper base)
• Appearance - 7.5
• Overall rating - 7

Melton Bakery

Walking past the Melton Bakery I noticed some ok-looking Vanilla Slices so in the name of research I bought one.  I must say it is not one of the best I have had.  The pastry was dense, biscuit-like and brown in colour and the icing was very unusual being a very soft/creamy glaze. 

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 4 
• Custard - 6 (I don't think I have ever had a custard I don't like)
• Pastry -5 (just passable yet very unusual)
• Appearance - 6.5 (I don't think I would ever try a VS which didn't look appetising) 
• Overall rating - 6

Riddells Creek Bakery

Riddells Creek is a lovely, unspoilt country town in the Shire of Macedon Ranges.  It reminds me of the township of Bright before it became too popular.

The Bakery is located on the main street with the choice of many scrumptious alternatives to the humble Vanilla Slice (yes, I admit I was tempted to get something other than the Slice but decided I can do then when I revisit Riddells).

I think I am on a roll here, because I have had two lovely Slices in a row.  

This slice's rating is :-

• Icing - 8.5 (not too sticky nor dry)
• Custard - 8 (fresh with a smooth texture)
• Pastry - 8.5 (lovely crisp pastry which was easy to chew [nothing worse than soggy VS pastry])
• Appearance - 9
• Overall rating - 8.5

Lill's Slice

The first Vanilla Slice I would like to critique is a home cooked vanilla slice from Lill, an ex-neighbour. After mentioning to John (her husband) I was starting up a Vanilla Slice blog, he said his wife made some that day and he kindly dropped a slab of Vanilla Slice around a couple of days later.

This was a scrumptious slice, with the rating as follows :-
Icing - 0
Custard - 8 (fresh tasting with a creamy texture)
Pastry - 8 (divine sweet pastry)
Appearance - 7
Overall rating - 8.

Contact Details - I am sorry but I am unable, for obvious reasons, to provide contact details; you will just have to take my word for it that this was a very palatable slice.

Critique

Welcome to my new blog on Vanilla Slices.  My intention is to try as many Vanilla Slices as humanly possible and rate them based on the following :-

• icing;
• custard;
• pastry;
• appearance; and
• overall taste.

What entails a perfect Vanilla Slice.  Well it is an individual taste but for me freshness is a must.  The icing must not be too sticky but not crumbly.  The custard must be JUST RIGHT in texture - light and fluffy and not  "gluggy".  Appearance does matter with Vanilla Slices and it must be neatly cut and presented.