Mille-feuille, also known as Napoleon cake or St. Honoré cake, is a classic French pastry renowned for its multi-layered structure and delicate, buttery taste. The name translates to ‘a thousand leaves,’ which refers to the many thin layers of puff pastry and pastry cream it consists of. This elegant dessert is typically finished with a dusting of powdered sugar or a glaze.
Recipe for Mille-Feuille:
Ingredients:
For Puff Pastry:
1. 500g all-purpose flour
2. 300g unsalted butter, cold and diced
3. A pinch of salt
4. 1 tsp white vinegar
5. ~170ml cold water
For Pastry Cream (Crème Patisserie):
1. 500ml whole milk
2. 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3. 6 egg yolks
4. 100g granulated sugar
5. 40g cornstarch
6. 50g unsalted butter, cold and diced
For Glaze (optional):
1. 100g powdered sugar
2. 1-2 tsp water or milk
Instructions:
Puff Pastry:
1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the cold diced butter, mixing until you have coarse crumbs.
2. Make a well in the center and add vinegar and cold water. Gradually mix with a spatula from the inside out, incorporating the flour until it forms a smooth dough. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
3. Divide the dough into two portions, shape each into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
4. Roll out one disc of pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 5mm thickness. Fold it into thirds like a letter (this is the first fold), then rotate 90 degrees and repeat this folding process two more times (these are the second and third folds). This creates the characteristic layers in puff pastry.
5. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling out again to your desired thickness (usually around 2mm) and cut into rectangles or squares. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the second disc of pastry.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Pastry Cream:
1. In a saucepan, heat milk with vanilla bean and pod (or extract), bringing just to a simmer.
2. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until pale and smooth. Gradually whisk in the hot milk mixture.
3. Return the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add cold diced butter, stirring until fully incorporated. Strain the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap (pressing the wrap directly onto the cream to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate until chilled.
Assembly:
1. Once the puff pastry is cool and the pastry cream has chilled, cut the edges off the rectangles or squares of puff pastry so they’re straight (optional).
2. Spread a layer of pastry cream evenly over one piece of pastry, leaving a small border around the edges. Place another piece on top and gently press down to help the cream spread out to the edges. Repeat with remaining layers.
3. For a glaze, mix powdered sugar with 1-2 tsp water or milk until you achieve a pourable consistency. Drizzle over the mille-feuille and let it drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
4. Dust with additional powdered sugar, if desired, for a classic presentation.
Enjoy your homemade Mille-Feuille! This impressive dessert is perfect for special occasions or simply satisfying a sweet craving.
Text model: granite3.2
Image model: CopaxCuteXL
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