Certainly! Here is a classic mille-feuille recipe. Mille-feuille, also known as Napoleon, is a French pastry made up of layers of puff pastry and pastry cream, often topped with a glaze or powdered sugar.
Ingredients:
For the Puff Pastry:
- 500g puff pastry (store-bought or homemade)
For the Pastry Cream:
- 500ml whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 100g granulated sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 40g cornstarch
- 50g unsalted butter
For the Icing:
- 200g powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp water
- 50g dark chocolate, melted (for decoration)
Instructions:
Preparing the Puff Pastry:
- Preheat the oven: to 200°C (390°F).
- Roll out the puff pastry: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of about 2-3mm.
- Cut the pastry: Cut the pastry into three equal rectangles, approximately 30×10 cm each. Place the rectangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Dock the pastry: Prick the surface of the pastry all over with a fork to prevent it from puffing up excessively.
- Bake: Place another baking sheet on top of the puff pastry to keep it flat. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Let cool completely.
Preparing the Pastry Cream:
- Heat the milk: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk with the scraped seeds of the vanilla bean and the pod (or vanilla extract) until it just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and let it infuse.
- Mix egg yolks and sugar: In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until pale and thick.
- Add cornstarch: Whisk in the cornstarch until smooth.
- Temper the eggs: Gradually pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
- Cook the mixture: Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the pastry cream is thick and smooth.
- Add butter: Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted and fully incorporated.
- Chill: Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin from forming, and refrigerate until completely cooled.
Assembling the Mille-Feuille:
- Layer the pastry and cream: Place one layer of puff pastry on a serving plate. Spread half of the pastry cream evenly over the pastry. Top with another layer of puff pastry and spread the remaining pastry cream. Finish with the third layer of puff pastry.
- Prepare the icing: Mix the powdered sugar with just enough water to make a thick but spreadable icing.
- Decorate: Spread the icing over the top layer of puff pastry. Drizzle the melted dark chocolate over the icing in thin lines, then use a toothpick to drag through the lines to create a marbled effect.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate the mille-feuille for at least an hour to allow it to set before slicing and serving.
Enjoy your homemade mille-feuille!