Daring Bakers - Mille-feuille / Mil Folhas

Our October 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Suz of Serenely Full. Suz challenged us to not only tackle buttery and flaky puff pastry, but then take it step further and create a sinfully delicious Mille Feuille dessert with it!

I loved the challenge of making puff pastry from scratch and also the possibility of being creative and inventing our own mille feuille.

This challenge reminded me of my grandmother (the mother of my father) who was a wonderful cook and made puff pastry like a pro. Accomplishing it made me feel proud of myself. Thanks!!!

I didn't choose to make the Napoleon because I have no fans of pastry cream at home. So, I baked the pastry, divided it in two and created two different desserts: mango and chocolate ganache mille feuille and lemon curd mille feuille. For the recipes I had a little help of BBC Food.

For a step by step of the Puff Pastry and the baking of Mille Feuille read HERE (Suz did a great job). It also has the how-to for the Napoleon.

Lemond Curd and Almonds Mille Feuille

Mango and Chocolate Mille Feuille

Mille Feuille 

1. Preheat oven to moderately hot 200 °C /400°F/gas mark 6.
2. Lightly dust your work space with flour and remove your dough from the fridge.
3. Roll into a large rectangle, the thickness of cardboard. The recipe I followed specified no other dimensions, but I rolled mine to about 12”/30cm x 18”/46cm.
(I found it easiest to start the rolling on the work surface, and finish it off on a large piece of greaseproof paper. That way it’s easier to move the sheets of pastry around.)
4. Cut into three equal pieces and place on a baking tray. If you don’t have space for all three, you can bake them separately.

5. Prick the pastry sheets all over with a fork.
6. Place another sheet of greaseproof paper over the top and then a heavy baking tray. This will prevent the layers from puffing up too much.
(N.B. I found my baking trays weren’t heavy enough, so also used a pyrex dish to add more weight. Just ensure that the pastry sheets are evenly weighted down.)

7. Bake each sheet for about 25 minutes in a moderately hot oven 200 °C /400°F/gas mark 6, removing the top layer of greaseproof paper/tray 10 minutes before the end for the tops to brown. Keep an eye on them periodically and lower the temperature if you think they’re browning too much.
8. Remove the baked sheets from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool.

9. Once the pastry has cooled, you’re ready to assemble your mille-feuille.

Assembly

10. Lay one sheet on the board and spread half the cream (or filling of your choice) evenly over the top.
11. Take the second sheet and place it on top, pressing down lightly with your hands to ensure that it sticks to the filling.
12. Spread the remaining filling and place the last sheet of pastry on top, pressing down again. (Don’t worry if there’s some oozing at the sides. That can be neatened later.)

Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:
The puff pastry dough will keep in the fridge for up to two days. Any leftovers can be well wrapped up & frozen for a year. Thaw for 30 minutes on the counter or overnight in the fridge.
The completed mille-feuille can be made a day or two in advance; it will last 2 or 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge, though will become less crisp.

Lemon Curd (recipe from BBC Food)

Quantity enough to use in half the pastry

• 3 eggs, plus 4 egg yolks
• 6 lemons, juice and zest of 3 lemons
• 115g/4oz unsalted butter, diced
• 115g/4oz caster sugar

1. Whisk together the egg yolks and eggs in a large bowl. Place the lemon juice, zest, butter and sugar in large metal bowl, set it over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
   
2. Gradually whisk the hot butter mixture into the eggs then pour the mixture back into the metal bowl over simmering water. Whisk constantly for 4-5 minutes, or until the curd thickens. Pour the lemon curd into a clean bowl and place clingfilm directly on the surface to prevent a skin forming. Chill until required.

For the mille feuille I used the lemon curd and then some laminated almonds in each layer.
On top I sieved some cing sugar and sprinkled with almonds.

Mango Cream (recipe from BBC Food)
Quantity enough to use in half the pastry

• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, stones removed, chopped
• 1 tbsp icing sugar
• 200g/7oz  mascarpone

1. Blend the mangoes and icing sugar in a food processor until smooth. Add more icing sugar to taste.
   
2. Set aside eight tablespoons of the mango purée. To the remaining mango purée, add the mascarpone and mix thoroughly.
   
3. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and chill in the fridge.

For the chocolate ganache

• 100g/3½oz dark chocolate
• 100ml3½oz double cream
  
  

  1. For the ganache, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not allow the base of the bowl to touch the water). 
  2. Heat the cream in a saucepan until just boiling, then pour into the melted chocolate and stir until smooth and well combined. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag and chill in the fridge.

   For the mille feuille I used the mango cream and then a little of  the ganache in each layer.
  On top I dropped some of the mango puré and also a bit of ganache, Pollock style.