Mille-Feuille: The Ultimate Creamy Dessert

Here’s a classic Mille-Feuille recipe, which is known for its delicate layers of puff pastry and rich cream. Mille-feuille (also known as “Napoleon”) combines flaky pastry with creamy fillings, making it the ultimate dessert experience.

Ingredients:

For the Puff Pastry:

• 500g puff pastry (store-bought or homemade)
• Powdered sugar (for dusting)

For the Pastry Cream:

• 500ml whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 100g granulated sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• 50g cornstarch
• 30g unsalted butter

For the Icing (Optional):

• 100g powdered sugar
• 2-3 tbsp water or lemon juice
• 50g dark chocolate (melted) for drizzling

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Puff Pastry:

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F).
2. Roll out the puff pastry into a thin sheet (around 2-3mm thick).
3. Cut the pastry into rectangles (approx. 10cm x 5cm) or a size of your choice.
4. Place the pastry on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork to prevent it from puffing unevenly.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and crisp.
7. Let the pastry cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

2. Make the Pastry Cream:

1. Heat the milk and vanilla (bean or extract) in a saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Remove from heat and let it steep for 10 minutes if using a vanilla bean.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale. Add the cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
3. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens (about 5 minutes).
5. Remove from heat, stir in the butter, and let the pastry cream cool. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming.

3. Assemble the Mille-Feuille:

1. Layer 3 pieces of puff pastry with pastry cream in between each layer. Use a piping bag to get a neat finish.
2. Once assembled, optionally add icing by mixing powdered sugar with water or lemon juice until smooth. Spread this icing on the top layer of pastry.
3. Drizzle melted chocolate over the icing for decoration, and create a marbled effect by using a toothpick to drag through the icing and chocolate.

4. Serve:

• Chill the assembled mille-feuille in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving to set the layers.
• Serve chilled and enjoy this ultimate creamy dessert!

Let me know if you have any variations you’d like to try!