Mille-Feuille Will Turn You In A Pastry Superstar

Taylor Ann Spencer
·4 min read

Yields: 12

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 1 hour 55 mins

Ingredients

Pastry Cream Filling

  • 3

    large egg yolks

  • 3 tbsp.

    cornstarch

  • 1/4 tsp.

    kosher salt

  • 6 tbsp.

    granulated sugar, divided

  • 1 1/2 c.

    whole milk

  • 2 tbsp.

    unsalted butter, cubed, room temperature

  • 1 1/2 tsp.

    pure vanilla extract

  • 3/4 c.

    cold heavy cream

Puff Pastry Layers

  • 1

    (1-lb.) package puff pastry

  • All-purpose flour, for dusting

Assembly

  • 1/2 tsp.

    pure vanilla extract

  • 2 1/4 c.

    (270 g.) confectioners’ sugar, divided

  • 4 tbsp.

    whole milk, divided

  • 1 tbsp.

    unsweetened cocoa powder

Equipment Needed

  • 2

    piping bags, a 1/4" round tip, and a 1/2" round tip

Directions

Pastry Cream Filling

  1. In a large heatproof bowl, whisk egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, and 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar.

  2. In a medium pot over medium heat, heat milk and remaining 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and milk is steaming, about 3 minutes. Whisking constantly, pour half of hot sugar milk into egg mixture.

  3. Pour milk-egg mixture into pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until pastry cream boils and thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour hot pastry cream onto a rimmed baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto pastry cream. Refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour. (If making all in one day, bake puff pastry layers while waiting for pastry cream to cool.)

  4. When pastry cream is cool, in a large bowl, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Transfer cold pastry cream to another large bowl and stir until smooth. Stir one-quarter of whipped cream into pastry cream until combined. Using a rubber spatula, carefully fold in remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate pastry cream filling until ready to assemble.

  5. Make Ahead: Pastry cream (without whipped cream folded in) can be made 3 days ahead. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

Puff Pastry Layers

  1. Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment. Remove 1 sheet of puff pastry from refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to a 12" x 12" square. Using a sharp knife or a pizza wheel, cut square into 3 (12" x 4") rectangles, then cut each rectangle into 6 (4" x 2") smaller rectangles.

  2. Transfer rectangles to prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1/2" apart. Repeat with remaining sheet of puff pastry. (If not baking immediately, refrigerate pastry on baking sheets until ready to bake.)

  3. Top one tray of pastry rectangles with another sheet of parchment and a second empty baking sheet (this will prevent the pastry from puffing too much).

  4. Bake pastry until browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove top baking sheet and parchment. Transfer rectangles to wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat with remaining trays of pastry.

  5. Make Ahead: Puff pastry rectangles can be baked 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Assembly

  1. In a small bowl, whisk vanilla, 1 1/4 c. (150 g.) confectioners’ sugar, and 2 Tbsp. milk until smooth. Cover bowl with a damp paper towel until ready to use.

  2. In another small bowl, whisk cocoa powder and remaining 1 c. confectioners’ sugar and 1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. milk until smooth. Add more milk if needed until mixture is a stiff pipeable glaze consistency. Transfer to piping bag fitted with 1/4" round tip.

  3. Arrange 12 pastry rectangles on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Using a small offset spatula or butter knife, spread white icing over entire top of a pastry rectangles.

  4. Carefully pipe 6 lines of chocolate icing crosswise on top of white icing, spacing each about 1/2" apart. Drag pointy end of a clean toothpick through center of icing from one short end to the other (at a perpendicular angle to chocolate icing lines). Repeat on either side of first line, dragging the toothpick in the opposite direction to create a chevron shape. Repeat with remaining 11 rectangles.

  5. Transfer pastry cream filling to another piping bag fitted with 1/2" round tip. Arrange 24 un-iced rectangles in pairs on a clean work surface (if rectangles are slightly uneven, try to pair up rectangles that are a similar size/shape). With the piping bag tip pointed straight down, pipe 2 rows of 5 dots (about 1/2 tsp. each) on each rectangle.

  6. Carefully stack paired rectangles one on top of each other so both cream fillings are facing up. Top with an iced rectangle.

  7. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

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