Mille Foglie Recipes

MILLE FEUILLE (NAPOLEON PASTRY SHEETS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone sheet.
• Separate dough at the seams into 4 squares and place on prepared baking sheet. Score the dough all over with the tines of a fork to prevent it from rising too much when baking. Lightly sprinkle dough sheets with white granulated sugar.
• Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and 3 sheets of aluminum foil. Nest another baking sheet on top to apply some pressure to the dough while it bakes.
• Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes; remove top pan and foil and gently peel off the parchment paper. Return pan to oven and bake until pastry is beautifully browned, 10 to 15 minutes. (Optionally, you can bake about 7 minutes after uncovering, then flip sheets over and bake until brown on the other side, another 7 minutes.)
• Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely before cutting.
• Square the sheets by trimming uneven edges off sheets using a sharp serrated knife with light sawing motion to keep the pastry from breaking. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 3 equal smaller rectangles. Use 3 small rectangles per pastry.

MILLE-FEUILLE WITH VANILLA PASTRY CREAM AND BOURBON SAUCE

Steps:

• For the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla seeds and pod. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, then remove from the heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and egg yolks. Temper the eggs by adding about 1/4 cup of the warm milk mixture and whisking to combine. Add the egg mixture to the pan and whisk to thoroughly combine.
• Heat the pan over medium-low heat until it begins to thicken. Cook, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the mixture is the consistency of pancake batter, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and discard the vanilla bean pod. Whisk in the butter until combined. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Transfer to a shallow dish and press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Place in the refrigerator to cool completely, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• For the bourbon sauce: In a small saucepan, add the bourbon, granulated sugar and vanilla beans and pod. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Reduce the liquid by about half until thickened to a syrupy consistency, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard the vanilla bean pod; cool the syrup to room temperature.
• For the mille-feuille: Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface so that it is a roughly 11-by-16-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, trim off any uneven edges so that it is a perfect 10-by-15-inch rectangle. Slice the pastry into 12 approximately 2 1/2-by-5-inch rectangles. Place them on a lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Brush the tops of the puff pastry rectangles with the butter and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and another baking sheet on top so the puff pastry is sandwiched in between. Bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the top baking sheet and parchment and let cool to room temperature.
• To assemble: Spoon a small dollop of the pastry cream onto each plate to act as a "glue" for the first layer of puff pastry. Place one layer of puff pastry onto the cream dollop, then top with a layer of cream. Nestle about 6 raspberries in the pastry cream in rows and top them with a dollop more of pastry cream. Repeat the layers once more and top with a final layer of pastry. Dust the pastry and plate liberally with confectioners' sugar and drizzle the plate around the pastry with the bourbon sauce.

MILLE FOGLIE

Steps:

• Oven 425 or 450 (I use 450).
• for the puff pastry - place between 2 sheet pans with a piece of parchment paper above and below the pastry (you want to stack the sheet pans on top of each other).
• Bake for 10 minutes - if pastry isn't crisp and golden brown - remove top sheet pan and parchment and bake about 1-2 minutes longer.
• cool on wire rack.
• for the pastry cream - Whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and cornstarch, in a non-reactive saucepan.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the milk into the yolks.
• then whisk them into the sugar-starch mixture. Whisk well to be sure all the cornstarch and flour is picked up off the pan bottom and dissolved.
• Set the pan over medium heat and cook the custard mixture for about 12 minutes, until it thickens and comes to a boil (Stir with a wooden spoon on and off for the first 5 minutes, then stir constantly for about 7 minutes longer) until the mixture really thickens and reaches a boil, and you see fat heavy bubbles work up to the surface and burst between stirs.
• Occasionally use a whisk instead of the spoon to break up and remove any lumps.
• Then boil for 1 full minute (count to 60) while stirring constantly, covering the entire bottom of the pan with the spoon. Remove the pan from the heat.
• The cream is sufficiently cooked if it is smooth and thick and will generously coat the spoon--it should hold a clearly defined line when you draw your fingertip through the cream clinging to the back of the spoon.
• If you suspect that the cream may be lumpy, pass it through a strainer set over a bowl.
• Stir in the butter and the vanilla extract, if using.
• Spoon the cream into a bowl. To prevent a skin from forming, press a piece of buttered plastic wrap onto the surface, or dab it with butter or sift on a very light coating of confectioners' sugar.
• Cool, then cover and refrigerate (the cream should be cool enough to use after about 20 minutes).
• Cut the puff pastry in half, place 1 half on the bottom of a pyrex (I use 9x13, but it will be smaller)
• Spread the cream over the pastry, and top with remaining half.
• Sift powdered sugar over all, and chill till ready to serve (about 1 to 2 hours is best).
• Cut with a serrated knife.
• You can double this by doubling the cream (make 2 separate batches - it's easier) and using 2 sheets of pastry - you will have to trim the pastry to fit into a 9x13 pan on the sides.

MILLE - FEUILLE

Steps:

• Put the eggs, vanilla sugar and the flour in a bowl and add a little milk from the 300ml and mix until smooth. Put the rest of the milk in a saucepan and almost bring it to the boil. When done pour it to the egg mixture and mix well. Wash the saucepan and return the egg mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat for 15-20 minutes or until thickened.
• Put the cream into a bowl and cover it with cling film gently press it over the surface to prevent skin from forming. Leave it to cool.
• Sprinkle some flour on a flat surface and roll the pastry . Cut it in 3 10X30cm rectangles, pierce the pastry with a fork and bake them at 220 C /425C/gas 7 in a baking tray with greaseproof paper for 10-15 minutes or until crisp and golden.
• When they are ready take them out of the oven and let them cool.
• In the mean time make the icing, put the sugar with 2 tbsp of water in a bowl and mix everything together, spread over one of the rectangles and leave it to set.
• Take a second pastry rectangle and spread the raspberry jam and the whipped cream.
• Put the third rectangle on top of the whipped cream and spread the creme patissiere.
• Top with the iced pastry rectangle. Cut it in 2-3 cm stripes. Chill the mille-feuille in the fridge until ready to serve.