Mille Feuille !!!The delicious classic French dessert with layers of crunchy puff pastry and rich pastry cream, but with a touch of white chocolate!
For the puff pastry
1 (425 gr. / oz. ) layer puff pastry
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the white chocolate pastry cream
200 gr. white chocolate, chopped
50 gr. sugar
2 large eggs
30 gr. cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
500 gr. whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter
150 gr. / oz. heavy cream, whipped
White chocolate icing
150 gr. / oz. white chocolate, finally chopped
50 gr. / oz. heavy cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 190C / 375F.
Transfer the puff pastry to a baking pan lined with parchment paper and pierce the dough all over with a fork. Cut the puff pastry into three equal pieces.
Μix together powdered sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dust one side of the puff pastry pieces with powdered sugar-cinnamon mix. Bake it for 15-20 minutes.
Transfer the baked pastry layers to a rack to cool it completely.
To make the pastry cream
Add the milk into a saucepan. Heat the milk over medium high heat and bring it to a simmer, almost to a boil.
While the milk is being heated, place the sugar, eggs, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Whisk until you have a thick, smooth mix.
As soon as the milk starts to bubble, remove it from the heat. Whisk slowly half of the hot milk with the egg to temper the mix. This keeps the egg from turning to scrambled eggs when you add them to the simmering milk.
Pour the egg/milk mixture back into the remaining simmering milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the mixture thickens.
Remove the mixture from the heat and add butter, chopped chocolate and vanilla extract. Whisk until it’s completely mixed in.
Pour the custard into a bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching and sealing the whole surface. This is to prevent a custard skin from forming on top.
Refrigerate until chilled, about 3-4 hours.
Once chilled, re-mix the cream until it becomes smooth. Then fold in the whipped heavy cream and spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a round nozzle. Place it in the fridge for as long as you are not going to use it.
To make the white chocolate icing
Boil the cream in a saucepan over medium heat stirring to avoid it catching at the base and burning until reaching a soft bubbly simmer.
Pour straight on to the chopped white chocolate and let it rest for 10-20 seconds before stirring gently to melt all the chocolate and reach an even glossy consistency. Set it aside.
To assemble the dessert
Spread half of the pastry cream over the first piece of puff pastry (the layer of cream should be about 1cm thick. Lay the second piece on top, then spread with the remaining pastry cream. Finally, top with the last piece of puff pastry.
Decorate with powdered sugar or white chocolate icing