Description
Delicate Mille-Feuille is a classic French pastry composed of layers of flaky puff pastry and rich vanilla pastry cream, topped with a smooth icing. It’s a light, elegant dessert perfect for special occasions or as an indulgent treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional, for the icing)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut it into 3 equal rectangles. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Let cool completely.
- In a saucepan, heat the milk and sugar over medium heat until it begins to simmer. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth.
- Slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until it thickens to a custard-like consistency.
- Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Allow it to cool completely, then gently fold in the heavy cream to lighten the mixture.
- Once the pastry and cream are both cooled, layer the puff pastry rectangles with a generous amount of pastry cream in between each layer.
- For the icing, mix the powdered sugar with water and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle the icing over the top layer of the pastry and allow it to set before serving.
Notes
- For a more decorative touch, you can add chocolate stripes on top of the icing and drag a toothpick through the lines to create a marbled effect.
- This dessert can be prepared in advance; just keep the assembled mille-feuille refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Feel free to experiment with the filling, such as adding whipped cream or fruit preserves between the layers for different flavors.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: mille-feuille, puff pastry, French pastry, vanilla cream, dessert