Napoleon or french mille feuille dessert recipe

Napoleon or French Mille Feuille Dessert recipe

This article was published by: Matthew

Share this content!

⚠ Note: for metric to imperial (or vice-versa) conversion please refer to our article on Cooking Measurements 101.
♼ Featured image may be generic and may not represent the (final) appearance of a dish.

Recipe intro

The Napoleon or French Mille Feuille dessert is a classic pastry that originated in France. It consists of layers of flaky puff pastry, filled with a rich and creamy custard. This indulgent dessert is often topped with a delicate dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of chocolate. The combination of crispy pastry and smooth filling creates a delightful contrast of textures and flavors.

Keywords: Napoleon, French, Mille Feuille, dessert, recipe.

Napoleon or french mille feuille dessert recipe details

Napoleon or french mille feuille dessert recipe, recipe Rating: 4.7
Number of votes:121 

Ingredients

500 g	puff pastry, fresh or frozen
	For the filling:
1 liter(s)	milk, full fat
150 g	sugar
5 tbsp	plain flour
200 g	unsalted butter
2 tbsp	cornflour
2	vanilla pods
10 large	egg yolks
	icing sugar, to dust

Instructions

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200ºC, 400ºF.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to a large rectangle, which once baked, can be cut into 3 equal widths.

Lightly butter a baking sheet, or cover it with baking parchment, and prick the pastry thoroughly with a fork. Cover the pastry with baking parchment and lay another baking tray on top. Otherwise, cover it with foil and lay some baking beans or rice on the foil to limit the amount that the pastry will rise. Chill for about 30 minutes.

Bake the pastry, still covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the covering materials, including the parchment and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Allow to cool completely before filling.

To prepare the filling: In a large saucepan, combine the egg yolks and sugar and stir well. Add the flour and cornflour and mix well. Do not heat at this stage.

Split the vanilla pods lengthwise and scrape out the seeds within. Add those to the mixture and stir well. Slowly add the milk and stir until the mixture becomes smooth. Place the pan on a low-medium heat and gently bring to a simmer. When it starts to bubble, remove from heat. Allow the mixture to cool and then chill in refrigerator.

In a bowl, beat the butter until very light and creamy and then gently mix in the chilled filling mixture.

When the pastry has cooled, cut it carefully with a sharp, serrated knife into 3 identical widths. You may wish to trim the edges for a neater result, but it is not essential.

Lay the three pastry portions side-by-side. Spread a thick layer of filling on two of them using a spoon and a spatula. Stack these two layers and then add the third. Sprinkle with icing sugar to decorate.

Refrigerate until required. Slice with a very sharp serrated knife to serve.


Alternate fillings:
Orange blossom – reduce the number of vanilla pods to one, and add 2 tbsp of orange flower water to the mixture before adding the flours.

Berry::
Follow the standard recipe and add a layer of fresh raspberries, blueberries, blackberries or sliced strawberries. Peeled, sliced kiwi fruit can also be used.

Chocolate:
Prepare the filling as normal, but add 225-250 g of semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate pieces to it when warming it. Make sure that the mixture is completely even. If wished, you may omit the vanilla completely or use one pod rather than two.

Orange:
Omit the vanilla completely and add 1½-2 tablespoons of grated orange zest (or adjust to taste).

Almond:
Use one vanilla pod rather than two and add 3 tablespoons of ground almonds immediately before adding the flours. Top with toasted flaked almonds after dusting with icing sugar.

About this recipe:
An acquaintance has long enthused about a dessert she learned in France while on a patisserie course about 4 or 5 years ago. It was always referred to as a ‘Napoleon’. She has now provided the recipe and it immediately became obvious that it was a ‘Mille Feuille’, although slightly more complex than others I have seen or eaten. I understand that each layer is supposed to represent a battle or victory experienced by Napoleon.

Preparation time:
ca. 1 hr
Resting time:
ca. 2 hrs
Grade of difficulty:
medium
Calories per portion:
n/a