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The mille-feuille is a French pastry staple, appreciated for its perfect balance between crispiness and sweetness. Made up of thin layers of airy puff pastry, generously topped with a smooth, flavoursome pastry cream, this refined dessert has delighted gourmets for generations. Preparing a homemade mille-feuille may seem daunting, but by following these steps, it becomes a pleasure to make and enjoy. Whether you want to delight your guests or simply treat yourself, this recipe for mille-feuille will guide you step by step to make a classic yet irresistible dessert.
Ingredients
4 Mille-feuilles
- 250 ml milk
- 2 large egg yolks
(or 3 small ones) - 50 g sugar
- 20 g cornflour
- 1 vanilla pod
- 25 g butter
- 1 Rectangular puff pastry
Icing
- 50 g icing sugar
- 10 g egg white
- Juice of a lemon wedge
- Cocoa powder
(or other food colouring)
Recipe
- Custard cream:
Bring the milk to the boil with the seeded vanilla pod, then remove the skin.
Mix the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour in a bowl.
Pour in the hot milk gradually, stirring with a whisk.
Return to medium heat and stir until thickened.
Add the butter, leave to cool and protect the cream from drying out with cling film. - Puff pastry:
Roll out the pastry on a baking sheet, cut into 12 equal rectangles, pierce with a fork, cover with baking paper and a baking sheet to prevent the pastry from rising too much during baking.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Leave to cool for a few minutes. - Icing:
Mix the icing sugar, lemon juice and egg white until you have a smooth, non-runny mixture. Add a little icing sugar if necessary to adjust the texture.
Separate the equivalent of 2 teaspoons which you colour with a small portion with pastry colouring cocoa of your choice. - Assembly:
Loosen the cream and fill the puff pastry layers using a piping bag or a knife (less decorative).
Add your white icing. Place your coloured sample on a piece of cling film, then make an airtight pouch that you pierce with an appetiser pick to allow only a thin trickle of coloured icing to escape. Working backwards and forwards, make stripes on your white icing and then squares with your cocktail pick (see photos).
You can also replace the icing with a dusting of icing sugar or cocoa, or make the more elaborate designs of your choice. - Storage :
Chill for at least 1 to 2 hours before serving. Fresh mille-feuille will keep for a short time (1 day max) and will only retain its crispness for the first few hours.
To be discovered if you have a minute...