Vanilla Mille Feuilles

Pastry recipe from Melanger Baking
Crème patissière chantilly recipe from Martha Stewart

Puff Pastry

Ingredients:
for the détrempe:
200ml water
2tsp salt
25ml white wine vinegar

500g plain flour, sifted
50g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the beurrage

400g unsalted butter, chilled

Method:
1. Combine the water, salt and vinegar and set aside.

2. Mix together the flour and melted butter for the détrempe until just combined.

3. Add the liquid  to the butter-flour mixture to achieve soft (but not sticky) dough. Roll out to a rectangle with a thickness of 1cm (about 15x20cm). Wrap in cling film and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

4. Roll the chilled butter for the beurrage between two sheets of greaseproof paper to a rectangle with the same height and width as the détrempe.

5. Unwrap the détrempe and roll it out to double its length. Position the butter rectangle on top of the détrempe so that it covers one half of the détrempe. Fold the détrempe in half so that it sandwiches the butter. Make sure the butter is completely concealed by the détrempe by sealing the edges.

6. To make one turn, roll the pastry out to about 20x40cm. Fold one quarter (lengthwise) of the pastry into the centre and do the same to the other side so that the length becomes half what it was before folding. Fold this in half. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

7.  Repeat step 6 twice more.

8. Roll the pastry out to a thickness of about 3-4mm and slice into three equal portions (the portions may be too large to fit on a baking tray, and therefore you should divide the portions further, but ensure that the number of rectangles is equal to a factor of 3. Aim for a width of approximately 4-5 inches . Cut each portion into evenly-sized rectangles. Place the pastry on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake at 200C/400F/mark 6 for 10 minutes. Top with another sheet of baking paper and a baking tray and bake for a further 6-8 minutes, or until crisp and golden on top and dry throughout the layers. Leave to cool before assembling.

Chantilly Crème Patissière

Ingredients:
120ml milk
120ml double cream
1 vanilla bean, split/ 1tsp vanilla paste’

3 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
2 ½ tbsp plain flour

250g double cream
     

Method:
1. Place the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod, if using.

2. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and creamy. Whisk in the flour. Gradually whisk in the milk mixture, and once combined, pour the mixture back into the saucepan.

3. Bring the mixture to the boil and cook for a further two minutes, whisking continuously. Remove from the heat and pour the pastry cream into a bowl. Leave to cool before covering with cling film (ensure the cling film touches the surface of the crème patissière) and refrigerating until cool.

To assemble, sandwich three of the pastry sheets on top of each other with a layer of vanilla cream between each sheet (a thin layer of jam could be spread onto the pastry before this is done).

Spread a thin layer of white icing (sifted icing sugar, vanilla extract and enough water or milk to achieve a suitable consistency) on top of the vanilla slices.

Pipe parallel lines of melted milk/dark chocolate over the icing and use a toothpick or knife edge to run (perpendicular) through the lines.