Mille-Feuille (French Napoleon Dessert)
A classic French layered dessert, this mille-feuille features flaky puff pastry and a rich custard cream filling.
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Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
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Thaw 1 1/2 pounds store-bought puff pastry or prepare 1/2 batch homemade dough. Optionally, fold 1/2 cup whipped heavy cream into 3 cups pastry cream, then refrigerate.
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Roll out the puff pastry into an elongated rectangle, the thickness of thin cardboard, then cut into three equal pieces.
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Place dough pieces on parchment-lined baking pans, pierce thoroughly with a fork, cover with another parchment sheet, and weigh down with an additional baking pan or pie weights.
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Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown; remove weights and top parchment for the final 5 minutes to crisp. Cool baked pastry layers completely on racks.
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Spread half of the chilled pastry cream over one cooled pastry layer, then top with a second layer and press gently.
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Spread the remaining pastry cream over the second layer, then top with the third layer and press gently.
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Melt 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate and transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a fine tip.
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Prepare royal icing by beating 2 room-temperature egg whites, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, and 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar until smooth and glossy, approximately 7-10 minutes, adjusting consistency with more sugar or water if necessary.
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Pour royal icing over the top pastry layer and spread evenly with a spatula. Quickly drizzle parallel chocolate lines across the icing before it sets.
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Create a chevron pattern by dragging a thin knife through the chocolate lines, alternating directions.
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Refrigerate the assembled pastry for at least two hours, or freeze for 30 minutes.
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Once chilled, trim 1/4 inch off all pastry edges for a neat rectangle. Transfer to a serving dish and cut into individual portions.