Description
This classic Mille-Feuille recipe features crisp baked puff pastry layered with a rich, thick vanilla custard transformed into a diplomate cream with gelatine and whipped cream. Topped with a delicate vanilla icing and a signature chocolate pattern, this elegant French pastry dessert is refrigerated to set before slicing, ensuring a perfect balance of flaky texture and creamy filling.
Ingredients
Puff Pastry Layers
- 2 sheets frozen butter puff pastry (25cm / 10″ squares, 185g/6oz each), just thawed
- 1 1/2 tbsp soft icing sugar / powdered sugar
Vanilla Custard Filling (Pastry Cream)
- 1 cup full fat milk (low-fat works too)
- 1/2 cup thickened cream / heavy cream (or other whipping cream)
- 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped out, or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup caster sugar / superfine sugar (substitute regular / granulated white sugar)
- 1/3 cup cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 tbsp plain flour / all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp / 15g unsalted butter (cold, cut into small 0.7cm / 1/4″ cubes)
Vanilla & Chocolate Icing
- 3/4 cup thickened cream / heavy cream (or other whipping cream, not double cream)
- 1 tbsp gelatine powder
- 3 tbsp water (just cold tap water)
- 1 cup soft icing sugar / powdered sugar (sifted)
- 4 tsp full fat milk (low-fat works too)
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips (US: semi-sweet chips)
Instructions
- Bake Puff Pastry Layers: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced). Cut each pastry sheet in half to use three halves, freezing the fourth for later. Turn two baking trays upside down and cover them with parchment paper. Place one puff pastry sheet on one tray and two on the other, spacing them out. Prick all over with a fork about 30 times per piece and dust with icing sugar. Cover each with another sheet of parchment paper and weigh down with another tray to prevent puffing. Bake for 30 minutes, swapping and rotating trays halfway through, until deep golden and crisp. Cool completely on a wire rack and trim the sheets to equal sizes using a serrated knife.
- Prepare Vanilla Custard Filling: In a large saucepan, combine milk, cream, vanilla bean seeds, and the used bean, heating over medium until just below boiling. Remove from heat, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until smooth, then whisk in cornflour and flour. Remove the vanilla bean, squeezing milk back into the saucepan then discard the bean. Temper the eggs by slowly adding half the milk mixture into the yolks while whisking, then return the entire mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium to medium-low heat, whisking constantly until it thickens into a very thick custard (7–10 minutes). Remove from heat, whisk in cold butter cubes until incorporated, pour into a bowl, smooth surface, cover with cling wrap touching the custard to prevent skin, cool 30 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate for 45 minutes or until custard firms up.
- Make Vanilla & Chocolate Icing: Whisk icing sugar, vanilla extract, and milk together in a small bowl until smooth. Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl with 3 bursts of 20 seconds, stirring between each. Transfer melted chocolate to a piping or zip-lock bag and snip a small hole. Spread vanilla icing over one puff pastry sheet placed on a rack over a tray, pipe chocolate lines 1 cm apart lengthwise, then drag a toothpick through the lines alternately to create the classic Mille-Feuille pattern. Chill the iced pastry in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set.
- Prepare Diplomate Cream: Bloom gelatine by sprinkling it over cold water, whisk gently and let sit for 3 minutes until firm, then microwave for 15 seconds to melt without boiling. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen the chilled custard by spreading gently with a spatula. Warm a quarter of the custard in a saucepan over low heat and whisk in melted gelatine until smooth. Add another quarter of custard, whisk smooth, then remove from heat and combine with remaining custard in a bowl. Whip the cream until stiff peaks form, fold a quarter into the custard with a mixer, then fold in the rest until smooth. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to firm enough for piping but still scoopable.
- Assemble the Mille-Feuille: Beat the diplomate cream until smooth. Fill a piping bag with a 1 cm round tip with half the cream. Place one puff pastry sheet on a cutting board and pipe 6 rows lengthwise covering the pastry. Smooth the top gently with an offset spatula dipped in warm water. Place the second pastry sheet on top, press lightly, pipe the remaining cream in rows, and smooth again. Finally, position the iced pastry sheet on top with the icing side up. Use leftover cream to pipe and smooth the edges. Refrigerate the assembled Mille-Feuille for at least 6 hours or overnight to properly set.
- Slice and Serve: Use a sharp serrated knife, wiping the blade between each cut, to portion the dessert into six pieces. For best flavor, let slices sit out for 30 minutes after removing from the fridge before serving.
Notes
- Keep the fourth half of puff pastry frozen for a later use.
- Using vanilla bean paste is a convenient alternative to vanilla beans.
- Gelatine powder stabilizes the cream to make slices neat and sliceable.
- Use good quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips for the icing pattern.
- Weight down the puff pastry sheets during baking to keep them flat and prevent puffing.
- The custard should be thicker than usual, with a dolloping consistency to hold the layers.
- The assembled Mille-Feuille requires several hours chilling to ensure set custard layers.
- Clean the knife blade between cuts to maintain clean slices.
- Allow slices to come to near room temperature for best custard flavor.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French