Raspberry Millefeuille Recipes

MARVELOUS MILLE-FEUILLE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment or a baking mat.
• Unfold the pastry, roll it to a 12-by-15-inch rectangle and cut into three 12-by-5-inch rectangles. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Prick the pastry and chill for 10 minutes in the freezer or 20 in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Dust the pastry with powdered sugar (this will ensure the pastry caramelizes when cooked). Bake until golden brown and risen, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the powdered sugar, mascarpone, cream and vanilla seeds and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the raspberry liqueur and lemon zest and turn on the mixer for 10 seconds to combine the ingredients.
• To assemble: Place a dab of the whipped cream on the serving plate to anchor the mille-feuille. Place one piece of pastry onto the plate glaze-side down. Spoon over half of the whipped cream, smoothing out the top. Arrange half of the fresh raspberries on top of the cream in rows, then top with another sheet of pastry, again glaze-side down. Top the second sheet of pastry with the remaining cream and raspberries. Add the last piece of pastry glaze-side up and liberally dust with powdered sugar.

RASPBERRY MILLEFEUILLES

Steps:

• For the pastry, mix the flour, salt and butter together in a bowl - the butter should remain in cubes. Make a well in the centre and pour in the lemon juice and 100ml cold water. Mix well, then bring together with your hands.
• Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and briefly knead until smooth. Shape into a rectangle, then wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins.
• On a floured surface, use a rolling pin to ridge and roll (see tip, below left) the pastry into a rectangle, so that it is three times as long as it is wide, about 15 x 45cm. Keep the edges of the pastry as straight as you can.
• Lift the bottom third of the pastry and fold it up and over the middle third. Dust off any excess flour.
• Fold the top third of the pastry down and over the bottom third, so that you have three layers of pastry in a neat rectangle. Dust off any excess flour. Wrap and chill for 15 mins.
• Give the pastry a 90-degree right turn so it faces you like a book. Repeat steps 3-5 four more times, always starting with the pastry facing you as it was after the last fold and giving it a turn. Chill for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to a rough 32cm square. Using a sharp knife, trim the edges to make a neat 30cm square.
• Cut the pastry into 3 long strips measuring 30 x 10cm. Transfer to 2 baking sheets lined with baking parchment and chill for 30 mins or until firm.
• Top each tray with a sheet of baking parchment, then stack on top of each other. Pop another baking tray on top and weigh down with an ovenproof dish. Bake for 25-30 mins or until golden brown and crisp.
• Leave the pastry to cool a little, trim the edges if needed, then cut each sheet into 6 smaller rectangles. You should end up with 18 pieces of pastry measuring about 10 x 5cm.
• Transfer 1 piece of pastry to a serving plate, pipe over blobs of Crème patisserie (see recipe tip, below left), then top with some raspberries and another layer of pastry.
• Add another layer of Crème patisserie and raspberries. Dust a third piece of pastry with icing sugar, then decorate with more raspberries and pop this on top. Repeat with the remaining pastry to make 6 millefeuilles.