Description

Learn how to make a classic French pastry, the Mille-Feuille (Napoleon Pastry), at home. This elegant dessert features layers of flaky puff pastry filled with creamy pastry cream and topped with a decorative chocolate and vanilla icing.

Ingredients

Scale

Puff Pastry

1 lb. homemade rough puff pastry or store-bought frozen & thawed puff pastry (2 sheets)
all-purpose flour as needed to roll dough

Pastry Cream

4 large egg yolks, cold or room temperature
3 Tablespoons (23g) cornstarch
2 cups (480ml) whole milk (do not use low-fat or nondairy)
1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean (or extra 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
small pinch salt
1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold

Vanilla Icing & Chocolate Topping

1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1.5 Tablespoons milk (dairy or nondairy)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces (57g) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prepare Puff Pastry: Either make homemade rough puff pastry or thaw store-bought pastry. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.
Make the Pastry Cream: Whisk egg yolks and cornstarch. Heat milk and sugar, then combine with egg mixture. Cook until thickened, then add butter, vanilla, and salt. Chill.
Shape the Dough: Roll pastry into a rectangle, dock the surface, and bake until golden brown.
Finish the Cream Filling: Whip heavy cream, then combine with chilled pastry cream. Refrigerate.
Assemble the Pastries: Trim and cut pastry into squares. Ice some squares with vanilla icing and chocolate topping.
Assemble the Mille-Feuille: Pipe cream filling between pastry layers, alternating with decorated squares. Refrigerate before serving.

Notes

For best results, chill the assembled pastries before serving to set the cream filling.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator to maintain freshness and texture.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 420 kcal
Sugar: 23g
Sodium: 180mg
Fat: 25g
Saturated Fat: 14g
Unsaturated Fat: 8g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 42g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 6g
Cholesterol: 160mg