Strawberry Pastries with Vanilla Custard
Submitted by ernie
Flaky puff pastry layered with real vanilla bean custard, whipped cream, and sliced fresh strawberries, dusted with powdered sugar. A homemade take on the classic French mille-feuille.
YIELD
12 pastriesPREP
25 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsIf you’ve ever ordered a mille-feuille at a French bakery, you know the thrill: shattering puff pastry, silky custard, fresh fruit, powdered sugar on your shirt. This recipe brings that entire experience home.
Frozen puff pastry sheets get rolled, pricked, dusted with powdered sugar, and baked until golden and puffed. The custard is the real deal, made from a whole vanilla bean steeped in half-and-half, then thickened with egg yolks and folded with whipped cream.
Sliced strawberries go between two pastry layers with a generous spread of custard, and a final dusting of powdered sugar finishes each one off.
Kitchen Tips
- Prick the puff pastry thoroughly with a fork to keep it from puffing too wildly and unevenly
- Whisk the custard constantly as it thickens and pull it off the heat just before it boils; one second too long and the eggs will scramble
- Let the pastry cool completely before filling, or the custard will melt and slide
- Assemble just before serving for the crispiest pastry layers; these don’t hold well overnight
Ingredients
Directions
Roll each sheet of dough out to about 12-by-6 inches. If desired, sift powdered sugar over counter before rolling. Cut each sheet into 4 even pieces.
Cover baking sheets with waxed paper. Place dough on prepared sheet. Prick with a fork. Sift powdered sugar over dough. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Bake dough at 425℉ (220℃) for about 5 minutes. Increase temperature to 450 and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes until pastries are light, golden and puffed.
Let cool on wire rack.
Split vanilla bean open lengthwise. Place in a heavy saucepan. Add half-and-half. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove vanilla bean.
In a bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add a little hot half-and-half, whisking. Pour this mixture back into saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly until thick and creamy. Do not boil or custard will curdle.
Remove custard sauce from heat. Beat until smooth. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add to vanilla custard. Spread over half of the baked pastries.
Cover with sliced strawberries. Top with second half of pastries. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve.
Comments
