Mille Feuille is a classic French pastry that has been enjoyed for centuries. It is made up of thin layers of puff pastry, filled with either sweet or savoury ingredients and then glazed with a layer of icing. The name ‘mille feuille’ translates to ‘thousand leaves, ‘ which refers to the many layers of the pastry. This classic dessert has been enjoyed worldwide and is still very popular today.
Brief History and Origin
Mille Feuille originated in France and was first created in the 17th century. During this time, French chefs were experimenting with new ways to create desserts using puff pastry as one of their main ingredients. The original version was much simpler than we know today; it was just two puff pastries filled with a thick layer of cream and sprinkled with sugar. Over time, the recipe changed as different ingredients were added to the filling, such as custard, chocolate, jam, fruit, nuts and even savoury fillings like cheese and vegetables.
Mille Feuille – The Recipe
- Preparation Time: 30 mins
- Cooking Time: 25 mins
- Total time: 55 mins
- Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen puff pastry dough, thawed
- 2 tsp. white sugar
- 1 sheet of parchment paper
- 3 sheets of aluminium foil
Instructions
- Prepare the oven and preheat it to 200 degrees C. Also, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone mat.
- Take the dough out of the package, separate it from the seams to make 4 squares and arrange it on the prepared baking sheet. Prick the whole surface of the dough using a fork.
- Cover the dough with 1 piece of parchment paper and 3 aluminium foil sheets, then apply pressure by placing another baking sheet on top.
- Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking sheet and aluminium foils from the top and carefully peel off the parchment paper. Place in the oven again and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes or until the pastry colour turns brown.
- Once ready, take it out of the oven and place it on the wire rack until cooled completely.
- Trim uneven edges with a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to square sheets. Each rectangle should be cut crosswise into three equal rectangles. Each pastry should have three rectangles.
Popular variations
Here are a few ways you can change this basic recipe to adjust it to your liking:
- Opera Millefeuille: This Mille Feuille is layered with coffee mousseline and a deep richness of dark chocolate crème custard. It is divine and has a satisfying creamy and crunchy texture.
- Berry Matcha Mille-Feuille: The bitterness from the matcha and tart freshness from the raspberries and blueberries create perfect harmony with the crunchy puff pastry.
- Chocolate Millefeuille: This blissful Mille Feuille has many layers of caramelized puff pastry filled with praline cream and an Amaretto chocolate ganache. It will give you a truly gourmet French delicacy experience.
- Strawberries & Cream Mille-Feuille: The crunchy, crispy layers of puff pastry have plain vanilla pastry cream and fresh strawberries. It is fresh, creamy, and lightly sweetened with strawberries on top.
- Raspberry millefeuille: Like the strawberry version, this millefeuille has tartness and freshness from the raspberry. It also gives a vibrant colour and taste to the overall dish.
