Indulge in a nostalgic sweet treat with this Vanilla Crunch recipe! Reminiscent of school dinners, this comforting dessert pairs perfectly with custard or enjoy it cold for a charming twist.
Step back in time to the days of school dinners with this delightful Vanilla Crunch recipe. This classic dessert evokes memories of warm, comforting meals shared with friends and brings a touch of nostalgia to any table. Traditionally served with a generous drizzle of hot custard as a dessert, you can also enjoy it cold and take with you on the go making it perfect for packed lunches. Whether you’re reliving cherished memories or creating new ones, this Vanilla Crunch is sure to satisfy your sweet cravings with every bite.
Moreover, what makes this recipe truly irresistible is its simplicity. With just a handful of basic ingredients, it’s a breeze to whip up, making it perfect for busy weeknights or impromptu gatherings. The star ingredient, vanilla, infuses the dessert with its warm, aromatic flavour, adding depth and richness to every portion. And let’s not forget the magic of that sprinkle of granulated sugar before baking – it’s what creates that satisfyingly crunchy top that’s simply irresistible. With this recipe, you can effortlessly transform everyday pantry staples into a comforting sweet treat.
Star Ingredient
The name of this bake gives a big hint to what ingredient takes the starring role. Vanilla crunch can’t be made without vanilla. So, this recipe to champion real vanilla. With that being the case, I have to shout out Littlepod and their pure bourbon vanilla extract. For each tablespoon of their extract you use, you will be in effect adding in one vanilla pod. If you really want to add a vanilla flavour to any of your bakes, go and check out Littlepod.
How to Purchase Ingredients for Vanilla Crunch to be Conscious to the Planet
The simplicity of vanilla crunch is that it requires basic ingredients that are easy to find. Bonus is that will most shopping habits you should be able to purchase nearly all without plastic.
Flours and sugars come in paper bags within supermarkets, and you can also find eggs that come in cardboard cartons. When hunting out vanilla within supermarkets, I would encourage to learn towards pastes. The brands of vanilla paste tend to come in glass bottles or tubs. If not, please pick extract over essence – the taste will be so much better.
If you venture behind the supermarket for your shopping, the flours and sugars can be found within baking sections of zero waste shops. These are good items to buy in bulk with big containers. For eggs, check out local farmer’s markets or farm shops. You can reuse egg cartons and support local businesses in this way.
When it comes to vanilla, I would recommend Littlepod’s vanilla extract or paste. You can order direct from their website, or you can even find them in some zero waste stores. Zero store stock’s their vanilla extract and they do online orders.
Ingredients you can buy Plastic Free
- Self Rasing Flour
- Plain Flour
- Caster Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla Extract
- Granulated Sugar
Equipment You Will Need
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Saucepan
- Small Bowl
- Fork
- Measuring Spoons
- 6 ½” x 10” Baking Tin
- Baking Parchment Paper
- Pastry Brush
- Cooling Rack
Tips and Tricks when Baking Vanilla Crunch
Keeping your Vanilla Crunch Dairy Free
This recipe is the one that I used to have in primary school. As a result, it calls for margarine as the fat within it. Using margarine does make this a dairy free recipe. However, if you want margarine does tend to come into plastic tubs. You can swap it out for a plant based butter.
If you really want to have this as a plastic free recipe, and don’t mind if it isn’t dairy free, you can make you own butter. The one ingredient for making butter is purchasable in glass bottles.
Lining you Cake Tin
The easiest way I find to line a rectangle baking tin is to scrunch up the parchment paper. It makes it more pliable and easier to push into the corners. I have seen this method also be done where the paper is damped slightly. Choice is yours if you wish to do this step.
Ways to Serve
This vanilla crunch is enjoyable just as it is, and this allows it to work as a sweet treat even in a packed lunch. However, it can of course be served with custard as it would have been done when you were at school. You can make your own custard from scratch, and this can allow you to make a dairy free version.
Vanilla Crunch
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Spatula
- Saucepan
- Small Bowl
- Fork
- Measuring Spoons
- 6 ½” x 10” Baking Tin
- Baking Parchment Paper
- Pastry Brush
- Cooling rack
Ingredients
- 125 g Self Raising Flour
- 125 g Plain Flour
- 125 g Caster Sugar
- 125 g Plant Butter or Margarine
- 1 Egg beaten
- 2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.
- Line the baking tin with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat.
- Add the melted butter, beaten egg and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and mix to combine into a dough.
- Tip the dough into the baking tin and firmly press it out to the sides of the tin.
- Brush the top with a little bit of water, and then sprinkle out the granulated sugar.
- Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack to cool completely.
- Cut the vanilla crunch into 8 pieces, by cutting it in half along the short side and then in half and half again along the long side.
- Store in an airtight container.
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