Ah so I have finally made it! it is creamy, and the layers of puff pastry are crunchy full of rich flavor! I am positive that this wonderful dessert you all have tried it and most of you might think it is time-consuming, but to my surprise it is not. As always I do love most things that I cook to be made from scratch but I am also aware that it is very hard for most people since we all do have very busy lives. I must be honest and tell you that I used puff pastry sheets; yes I do have the recipe for the real thing but who has the time?, they come just ready enough to be oiled and sugared and another key is keeping the dough flat when baking which we do by ‘docking’ it, or pricking all over with the tines of a fork. These crispy, buttery sheets are the first step in making your own Napoleons baked after that it is just a million ways to prepare different recipes. However now that I live in New England I must confess there is NO decent bakery near me and the ones that have been around do not make them the right way. Last week drove to Hartford CT looking for a wonderful bakery that had very good reviews; but to my dismay when I got home and served my family their version of the Napoleon, well let me tell you something, that was what drove me to make my own at home, nothing more disappointing than bad experience with a classic such as a Napoleon or should I call it by its real name ” mille Feuille” thousand sheets, Mil hojas, thousand sheets because that is exactly what it looks like between delicious Vanilla pastry cream. Now when you make the Vanilla pastry cream, please have patience this must be done slowly, so it doesn’t curdle or you get lumps; the key to any dish is patience and of course flavor! You don’t need to make your own dough when frozen puff pastry sheets work just fine. Now as for the Vanilla pastry cream
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise if not found or too expensive use 2 Tablespoons of Vanilla extract.
6 slices mille Feuille:
1 pack puff pastry
Oil, for brushing
2 teaspoons refined sugar
For Icing
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 Tablespoons of water
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder add water as needed to make a paste
Directions
Step 1PREPARATION for Vanilla Pastry Cream
Step 2In medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup milk, egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch.
Step 3Transfer remaining 1 3/4 cups milk to heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean
Step 4 add pod. Sprinkle remaining 1/3 cup sugar over, letting sugar sink undisturbed to bottom. Set pan over moderate heat and bring to simmer without stirring.
Step 5Whisk hot milk mixture, then gradually whisk into egg yolk mixture. Return to saucepan over moderate heat and cook, whisking constantly, until pastry cream simmers and thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, discard vanilla pod, and whisk cream until smooth. Transfer to bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Pastry cream can be made ahead and refrigerated, wrapped well with plastic wrap on surface, up to 3 days.)
Step 6Mille Feuille:
Step 7Preheat the oven to 400
Step 8Lay out a sheet of parchment on a baking tray, and lightly brush with oil. Lay the puff pastry sheet over the parchment, then brush the top with a little water. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the sugar, then cover with another sheet of parchment and then another baking tray.
Step 9Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully peel off the top layer of parchment. Flip over the puff pastry sheet, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and cover with the sheet of parchment and the baking tray.
Step 10Return to the oven and bake 10 minutes.
Step 11Carefully transfer the puff pastry sheet to a cutting board. Cut the sheet into three equal pieces. For easier slicing and serving later, cut two of the pieces into five equal pieces (this is optional but makes serving easier!).
Step 12Spread half of the pastry cream over the whole piece of puff pastry (the layer of cream should be about 1cm thick). Clean up the edges by running a knife alongside the pastry. Lay the second piece (whole or in pieces) on top, then spread with the remaining pastry cream. Finally, top with the last piece of puff pastry (whole or in pieces).
Step 13For Icing:
Step 14Make the icing by whisking together the icing sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons of water till smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa powder with a few drops of water and mix till a paste forms. Place the cocoa paste in a plastic food bag and snip off a very small piece of one corner
Step 15 you’ll use this to pipe on the cocoa paste.
Step 16Pour a thin, even layer of the icing over the top of the mille feuille. Working quickly so that the icing doesn’t harden, immediately pipe five thin lines of cocoa paste horizontally across the top (one line per piece). Drag a skewer through the lines of cocoa lengthways to decorate.
Step 17Let the icing harden in the fridge before slicing and serving.
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