Mille-Feuille

In keeping with the sugar-filled theme from yesterday, mille-feuille makes a lovely treat for Valentine’s Day. I piped the top with pink and white royal icing, but the interior keeps its traditional pâte feuilletée {puff pastry} and crème patisserie {pastry cream}. After waiting through the “double turns,” I spent a lovely Saturday afternoon devouring my work.

Mille-Feuille Recipe

Puff Pastry

{Adapted from Foodbeam}

75 ml water

1/2 tsp. salt

175 g all-purpose flour

55 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

187 g unsalted butter, softened

75 g all-purpose flour

Pastry Cream

{Adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets}

1 1/4 cups whole milk

3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

2 1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Royal Icing

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup water

Red food coloring

For the puff pastry, I halved the recipe but used the same measurements to form a thinner puff pastry. Dissolve salt in water, and set aside. Combine 175 grams flour and 55 grams butter in a food processor. Pulse until it forms coarse crumbs. With mixer running, pour in water. Mix until just combined. Roll to a 15 cm x 20 cm rectangle on plastic wrap, cover, and refrigerate. Mix remaining 187 grams butter and 75 grams flour with a hand mixer. Spread the butter mixture on plastic wrap to a 15 cm x 20 cm rectangle, cover, and refrigerate until firm. Roll dough to 20 cm x 30 cm, and fold over butter mixture {like a book}. See Foodbeam’s tutorial for the “double turns.” When ready to use, roll dough to 2 mm thickness. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place rectangle of dough on parchment, and chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place baking sheet in oven, and turn down temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes, place a wire cooling rack over the pastry to prevent further rising, and bake for another 15 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely.

For the pastry cream, in a small saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla, and stir to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch until light in color. While whisking constantly, pour in milk in a steady stream. Pour mixture back in saucepan, and return to medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour into bowl. Whisk until silky smooth, about 2 minutes. Add butter and whisk to incorporate. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator to cool completely.

For the royal icing, in a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar and water with a spoon to reach desired consistency. Divide in half in separate bowls. Use 2 drops red food coloring in one half, and mix until combined. Spread white icing over one layer of puff pastry. Place pink icing in pastry bag with a small round tip. Pipe parallel lines across white icing. Then, using a toothpick, gently score lines to form a pattern. Let dry completely.

To assemble, place two layers of puff pastry on a flat surface. Cover each generously with pastry cream. Place one layer on top of the other. Cover with the iced puff pastry layer. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Cut gently using a serrated knife. Makes 6 large slices. Relish in a decadent patisserie as it flakes into a thousand leaves.