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French mille-feuille with crisp puff pastry, vanilla pastry cream, fondant glaze, and chocolate feathering.

Classic French Mille-Feuille

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Crisp layers of puff pastry and vanilla pastry cream finished with a thin fondant glaze and chocolate feathering.
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Chill 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 430

Ingredients
 
 

Pastry Cream
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pastry and Glaze
  • 1 lb all-butter puff pastry thawed
  • 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 tbsp water plus more if needed
  • 1 oz dark chocolate melted

Equipment

  • Rimmed baking sheet
  • Parchment paper
  • Medium saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Serrated knife

Method
 

Bake the Pastry:
  1. Heat the oven to 400 F. Roll the puff pastry into a rectangle, place it on parchment, prick it all over, and chill for 15 minutes.
  2. Cover with a second sheet of parchment and another baking sheet to keep it flat. Bake for 15 minutes, remove the top sheet, and bake 8 to 10 minutes more until deeply golden. Cool completely.
  3. Cut the pastry into three equal rectangles with a serrated knife.
Make the Pastry Cream:
  1. Warm the milk in a saucepan until steaming. Whisk the sugar, egg yolks, and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth.
  2. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture, return it to the saucepan, and cook over medium heat while whisking until thick and bubbling.
  3. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill until cold.
Assemble and Glaze:
  1. Place one pastry rectangle on a board and spread with half of the pastry cream. Add a second pastry rectangle and the remaining cream, then finish with the third rectangle.
  2. Stir the powdered sugar with the water to make a thick glaze. Spread it over the top pastry layer.
  3. Pipe thin lines of melted chocolate across the glaze and drag a toothpick through them to create a feathered pattern. Chill for 1 hour before slicing.

Nutrition

Calories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 7gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 145mgSodium: 210mgFiber: 1gSugar: 24g

Notes

  • Bake the pastry until fully golden so it stays crisp after assembly.
  • A chilled pastry cream makes stacking much easier.
  • Use a hot, dry knife and wipe it between cuts for cleaner slices.