Millefeuille
Crispy puff pastry layers alternating with silky pastry cream and fresh strawberries, topped with a glossy icing. A showstopping French dessert that looks far more complicated than it is.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 485
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
- ¼ cup Powdered sugar
- 1 cup Whole milk
- 3 count Egg yolks
- ¼ cup Granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 package Frozen puff pastry sheets
- 1 pound Fresh strawberries
Instructions
- 1
Pour 1 cup of milk into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it over medium heat until small bubbles appear around the edges and steam rises from the surface, about 4 minutes.
- 2
While the milk heats, place 3 egg yolks and 0.25 cup of granulated sugar in a medium bowl and whisk together using a wire whisk until the mixture turns pale yellow and ribbons fall from the whisk when you lift it, about 2 minutes.
- 3
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cornstarch over the egg mixture and whisk it in until no lumps remain and the mixture looks smooth, about 30 seconds.
- 4
Remove the hot milk from the heat and slowly pour it into the egg mixture while whisking constantly so the eggs cook gently without scrambling, about 45 seconds.
- 5
Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan and place it over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens into a pudding-like consistency and you see one large bubble burst through the surface, about 2 minutes.
- 6
Remove the pan from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of butter until the butter melts completely and the cream looks glossy, about 20 seconds.
- 7
Pour the pastry cream into a shallow bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto its surface (this stops a skin from forming), and place it in the freezer for at least 15 minutes to cool.
- 8
Set the oven to 400°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 9
Remove one sheet of frozen puff pastry from the box and place it on a cutting board at room temperature until it is flexible enough to cut without cracking, about 3 minutes.
- 10
Using a sharp knife, cut the puff pastry sheet into three long rectangles of equal size, each about 4 inches wide and 10 inches long, by making two parallel cuts lengthwise along the sheet.
- 11
Arrange the three pastry rectangles on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving 1 inch of space between each one so they can puff up evenly.
- 12
Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15 minutes until the pastry puffs up dramatically and the surface turns deep golden brown like caramel.
- 13
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the three pastry rectangles to a wire cooling rack, placing them side by side without stacking, for at least 10 minutes.
- 14
Rinse the strawberries under cold running water and pat them dry with clean paper towels by pressing gently on each berry, about 1 minute total.
- 15
Place each strawberry stem-side down on a cutting board and slice it lengthwise from the tip toward the stem into 0.25-inch-thick slices, leaving the slices fanned but still attached at the stem, about 1 minute total.
- 16
Place one cooled pastry rectangle on a clean cutting board and use an offset spatula to spread about one-third of the pastry cream in an even layer across the entire top surface.
- 17
Arrange a row of strawberry slices down the center of the cream, fanned slightly so they overlap, covering about one-third of the width of the pastry.
- 18
Place a second cooled pastry rectangle on top and repeat: spread one-third of the remaining pastry cream on its surface, then arrange another row of strawberry slices down the center.
- 19
Top with the third pastry rectangle, placed flat on the strawberries.
- 20
In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and 0.25 cup of powdered sugar until no lumps remain, about 30 seconds.
- 21
Using a fine-mesh sieve held 12 inches above the millefeuille, sift the powdered sugar-flour mixture evenly across the top surface until it forms a thin white coating that covers the pastry completely.
- 22
Using a long serrated knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between each cut, slice the millefeuille into four equal portions by cutting straight down through all three layers with gentle sawing motions, cleaning the knife after each cut.
- 23
Transfer each portion to a serving plate using an offset spatula, positioning it so the layers are clearly visible from the side.
Tools you’ll need
- Heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Wire whisk
- Medium mixing bowl
- Medium shallow bowl
- Plastic wrap
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Oven
- Wire cooling rack
- Offset spatula
- Small mixing bowl
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Long serrated knife
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