This mille feuille is everything I want it to be. Between the layers of puff pastry is vanilla pastry cream, whipped strawberry ganache, and fresh lychee fruit. It is inspired by the Isaphan croissant my mom and I enjoyed on a sunny day spent at Jardin du Luxembourg.
Makes 6pastries
Ingredients
Puff Pastry Layers
1packagefrozen puff pastry, defrosted in the refrigerator
130g(2/3 cup and 2 tbsp) strawberry chocolate, roughly chopped (Note: alternatively you can use white chocolate and 4 - 5 tablespoons of freeze-driedstrawberry powder to achieve a similar flavour)
240mlheavy cream
Garnish
6fresh lychee fruit
Icing sugar, to dust
Instructions
Puff Pastry Layers
Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
Once puff pastry has defrosted, gently dust your work surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out puff pastry to roughly 1/8 of an inch in thickness.
Using heart-shaped cutters, punch out as many cut-outs as you can and transfer to baking sheet. You can gather and re-roll any scraps, but I don’t recommend doing it more than once. Transfer baking sheet to the freezer to allow cut-outs to firm up, about 10 minutes.
Place a second layer of parchment on top of the cut-outs and place a second baking sheet on top of the first. This will weigh dough the puff pastry when baking to create even layers.
Bake until pastry is a deep golden brown, about 10 – 12 minutes. You want to let the pastry baked uncovered by the second baking sheet and parchment for the last minute.
Allow pastry cut-outs to cool completely before assembling.
Vanilla Pastry Cream
In a small saucepan, heat milk heavy cream on medium heat with vanilla bean and 2 tablespoons of sugar until it starts to simmer. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let mixture steep while preparing eggs.
In a medium bowl, whisk together yolks, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Slowly pour in the hot milk mixture while whisking the egg mixture, this will prevent the eggs from cooking.
Return mixture to the pot, while turning back the heat to medium-low. Keep whisking the mixture as it thickens, 3 - 4 minutes. The pastry cream is ready when it starts to bubble slowly.
Take the pot off the heat and whisk in the softened butter. Strain the pastry cream into a clean bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Let pastry cream cool in the fridge before using. If pastry cream gets to congealed while cooling, use a whisk or spatula to loosen the pastry cream. Transfer to a piping bag fitting with a piping tip.
Whipped Strawberry Ganache
Place chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl.
In a small pot, bring heavy cream to a bowl. Carefully pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Allow the mixture to sit for a couple of minutes, until chocolate has softened. Using a whisk, whisk the mixture until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and transfer the bowl to the fridge. Allow the mixture to cool completed, about 2 – 3 hours.
When mixture is chilled and mille feuille is ready to be assemble, transfer ganache mixture to the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk of medium-high speed until medium peaks form. Transfer to a piping bag fitting with a piping tip.
To Assemble
Place first layer of pastry down on a plate or cooling rack. Pipe and even layer of vanilla pastry cream. Place second layer of puff pastry. Pipe even layer of strawberry ganache. Gently place a few pieces of chopped lychee fruit. Place third layer of puff pastry. Dust with powdered sugar for serving.
If you have trouble finding strawberry chocolate, alternatively you can use white chocolate and 4 - 5 tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberry powder to achieve a similar flavour.