Vanilla Mille-feuillewith Handmade Puff Pastry
A French dessert assembled with four thin, crispy puff pastry sheets and three even layers of vanilla pastry cream.
The mille-feuille contrasts puff pastry sheets baked under weight to remain flat and crispy with firm pastry cream. Assembly occurs only when both are cold; a serrated blade is used for cutting to preserve the layers.
Ingredients
Puff Pastry
Vanilla Cream
Cream and Finishing
Vanilla Cream
Preparation
Make the puff pastry
Prepare the base dough, enclose 350 g of butter, and perform six single folds with cold rests.
180 minutesBake the sheets
Roll out, cut four equal sheets, prick, and bake between baking trays at 200 °C until dry and golden; cool.
35 minutesCook the cream
Heat milk and vanilla; season egg yolks with sugar and flour, return to heat and cook until thickened. Add remaining butter and chill.
20 minutesAssemble and cut
Alternate four sheets with three layers of cold cream, sprinkle sugar, chill before cutting with a serrated knife.
20 minutes
Substitutions
Natural extract can replace the vanilla bean but offers a less complex aroma; ready-made cream does not equal pastry cream.
Storage
Chill within two hours, cover, and keep refrigerated in a shallow container.
Approximate shelf life: Up to 3 days refrigerated.
Nutrition values are estimates and may vary by brand, substitution and actual yield.
