Mille Foglie

Total Time: 28 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 3 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 large egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

Recipe

• 1 oven 425 or 450 (i use 450).
• 2 for the puff pastry - place between 2 sheet pans with a piece of parchment paper above and below the pastry (you want to stack the sheet pans on top of each other).
• 3 bake for 10 minutes - if pastry isn't crisp and golden brown - remove top sheet pan and parchment and bake about 1-2 minutes longer.
• 4 cool on wire rack.
• 5 for the pastry cream - whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and cornstarch, in a non-reactive saucepan.
• 6 in a mixing bowl, whisk the milk into the yolks.
• 7 then whisk them into the sugar-starch mixture. whisk well to be sure all the cornstarch and flour is picked up off the pan bottom and dissolved.
• 8 set the pan over medium heat and cook the custard mixture for about 12 minutes, until it thickens and comes to a boil (stir with a wooden spoon on and off for the first 5 minutes, then stir constantly for about 7 minutes longer) until the mixture really thickens and reaches a boil, and you see fat heavy bubbles work up to the surface and burst between stirs.
• 9 occasionally use a whisk instead of the spoon to break up and remove any lumps.
• 10 then boil for 1 full minute (count to 60) while stirring constantly, covering the entire bottom of the pan with the spoon. remove the pan from the heat.
• 11 the cream is sufficiently cooked if it is smooth and thick and will generously coat the spoon--it should hold a clearly defined line when you draw your fingertip through the cream clinging to the back of the spoon.
• 12 if you suspect that the cream may be lumpy, pass it through a strainer set over a bowl.
• 13 stir in the butter and the vanilla extract, if using.
• 14 spoon the cream into a bowl. to prevent a skin from forming, press a piece of buttered plastic wrap onto the surface, or dab it with butter or sift on a very light coating of confectioners' sugar.
• 15 cool, then cover and refrigerate (the cream should be cool enough to use after about 20 minutes).
• 16 cut the puff pastry in half, place 1 half on the bottom of a pyrex (i use 9x13, but it will be smaller)
• 17 spread the cream over the pastry, and top with remaining half.
• 18 sift powdered sugar over all, and chill till ready to serve (about 1 to 2 hours is best).
• 19 cut with a serrated knife.
• 20 you can double this by doubling the cream (make 2 separate batches - it's easier) and using 2 sheets of pastry - you will have to trim the pastry to fit into a 9x13 pan on the sides.