Café Gramercy · Annette’s Recipe Box
Annette's Vanilla Mille-Feuille
Bake the puff pastry until it is crisp, and assemble at the last moment so it stays that way.
Ingredients: 1 sheet puff pastry · pastry cream (see the éclair) · powdered sugar, or a little fondant
Method
- Roll the puff pastry thin on a lined tray. Prick it all over, lay a second sheet of paper on top and a second tray to weight it, and bake at 200°C (400°F) until crisp and evenly golden, about 20 minutes. A light dusting of sugar in the last minutes gives a lovely caramel sheen.
- Cool it, then cut it into neat, equal rectangles, three for each pastry.
- Pipe or spread the pastry cream onto one layer, set the next on top, more cream, and the third layer. Keep the hand light so the layers stay proud.
- Finish the top with powdered sugar, or a smooth glaze. Bring these to the table soon after you build them; assembled at the last moment, the pastry stays crisp and the layers sing.