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Mille-Feuille (Napoleon Pastry) Recipe

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4.2 from 14 reviews

  • Author: Leila
  • Total Time: 5 hours including chilling time
  • Yield: 5 assembled Mille-Feuille pastries

Description

Mille-Feuille, also known as Napoleon Pastry, is a classic French dessert featuring delicate layers of flaky puff pastry and smooth vanilla pastry cream. This recipe combines homemade or store-bought puff pastry with a rich, creamy filling and a decorative vanilla icing topped with melted chocolate in a chevron pattern. The assembled pastries are chilled to meld flavors and provide a satisfying cream filling between crispy pastry layers, making for an elegant and indulgent treat perfect for special occasions or impressive dessert presentations.

Ingredients

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

Whipped Cream Filling

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold

Topping/Icing

  • 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

Instructions

  1. Prepare Puff Pastry: Prepare homemade rough puff pastry dough through its second refrigeration or thaw store-bought frozen puff pastry according to package directions. Keep dough refrigerated until ready to use.
  2. Make Pastry Cream Base: In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks and cornstarch until thick and combined, adding a few drops of milk if needed. Set aside.
  3. Heat Milk and Sugar: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and sugar, whisk until sugar dissolves, then bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat.
  4. Temper Egg Mixture: Slowly pour warm milk mixture into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. Strain mixture through a sieve back into saucepan to remove any cooked bits.
  5. Cook Pastry Cream: Return saucepan to medium heat and whisk constantly until custard thickens with large bubbles bursting, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and salt. Cool 10 minutes.
  6. Chill Pastry Cream: Transfer custard to a heatproof bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin, and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
  7. Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a half sheet pan (12×17-inch) with parchment paper; have a second baking sheet and additional parchment ready.
  8. Roll Dough: On floured surface, roll dough into about 11×16 inches rectangle. For store-bought sheets, place two side by side overlapping edges and roll together to achieve size.
  9. Dock and Bake Pastry: Transfer dough to prepared pan, dock surface with fork. Cover with parchment and place second baking sheet with weights on top. Bake 20 minutes. Remove top pan and parchment, bake uncovered 7-9 more minutes until golden. Cool 20 minutes on pan, then move to rack to cool completely.
  10. Whip Cream Filling: Whip cold heavy cream to medium peaks with mixer. Gently fold chilled pastry cream into whipped cream until smooth. Refrigerate 1-4 hours before use.
  11. Trim and Cut Pastry: Using a sharp knife, trim edges of cooled pastry to straighten. Cut into 15 roughly 3×3 inch squares (measure to adjust if needed).
  12. Prepare Icing and Chocolate Topping: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla into smooth icing. Melt chocolate in microwave in 20-second increments until smooth. Transfer chocolate to piping bag or baggie.
  13. Ice Pastry Tops: Place 5 pastry squares on wire rack over parchment. Spread vanilla icing on each. Pipe 4 chocolate lines across each iced square and use toothpick to create alternating chevron patterns. Repeat for remaining 4 iced squares.
  14. Assemble Mille-Feuille: Using a piping bag with large round tip, pipe 9 dollops of cream filling over one plain pastry square. Add another plain pastry square on top gently. Repeat with another layer of cream and another plain pastry square. Top with one decorated iced square. Repeat to assemble 5 pastries total.
  15. Chill Assembled Pastries: Refrigerate assembled pastries uncovered for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours before serving to allow filling to set.
  16. Storage: Store mille-feuille in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Note pastry will soften and lose crispness over time.

Notes

  • Pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice can be used as weights to prevent puff pastry from puffing too much during baking.
  • The pastry shrinks slightly during baking; adjust cut sizes accordingly using measurements provided for consistent square sizes.
  • Use whole milk for creamy pastry cream; low-fat or nondairy milks will affect texture.
  • Cover pastry cream surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation during chilling.
  • Do not overmix whipped cream and pastry cream mixture to keep filling light.
  • The soft filling will naturally spill out when cut or bitten, which is expected and part of the Mille-Feuille experience.
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French

Find it online: https://recipesbyleila.com/mille-feuille-napoleon-pastry-recipe/