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Mille-Feuille (Napoleon Pastry) Recipe

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4.2 from 76 reviews

Mille-Feuille, also known as Napoleon Pastry, is a classic French dessert featuring layers of flaky rough puff pastry filled with rich vanilla pastry cream and topped with a delicate vanilla glaze and chocolate chevron design. This recipe uses either homemade or store-bought puff pastry baked to a golden crisp, layered with smooth pastry cream whipped together with heavy cream, and finished with an elegant vanilla icing decorated with melted chocolate. The result is a beautifully layered and indulgent treat with contrasting textures and flavors.

Ingredients

Pastry

  • 1 lb. homemade rough puff pastry or store-bought frozen & thawed puff pastry (2 sheets)
  • All-purpose flour as needed to roll dough

Pastry Cream

  • 4 large egg yolks, cold or room temperature
  • 3 Tablespoons (23g) cornstarch
  • 2 cups (480ml) whole milk (do not use low-fat or nondairy)
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean (or extra 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
  • Small pinch salt

Whipped Cream Mixture

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold

Vanilla Glaze

  • 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1.5 Tablespoons milk (dairy or nondairy)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Decoration

  • 2 ounces (57g) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Instructions

  1. Prepare puff pastry: Prepare homemade rough puff pastry dough through the second refrigeration or thaw store-bought frozen puff pastry as per package instructions. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
  2. Make the pastry cream base: In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together egg yolks and cornstarch until thick and combined. Set aside.
  3. Heat milk and sugar: In a medium saucepan, combine milk and sugar and warm over medium heat until sugar dissolves and it begins to simmer. Remove from heat.
  4. Temper egg mixture: Slowly pour warm milk into egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly to prevent scrambling. Strain the mixture through a sieve back into the saucepan to remove any solids.
  5. Cook pastry cream: Return saucepan to medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture thickens to custard consistency, about 1-2 minutes or when temperature reaches 185–190°F (85–88°C). Remove from heat and whisk in butter, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and salt. Cool 10 minutes.
  6. Chill cream: Transfer pastry cream to a heatproof bowl, cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent skin formation, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours.
  7. Preheat oven and prepare pans: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a half sheet pan (12x17-inch baking sheet) with parchment paper. Prepare a second sheet pan and parchment paper.
  8. Roll out dough: On a floured surface, roll puff pastry into a roughly 11x16-inch rectangle. For store-bought sheets, place sheets overlapping slightly and roll together.
  9. Bake pastry with weights: Transfer rolled dough to lined baking sheet, dock surface with a fork. Cover with parchment and place weighted baking sheet on top. Bake 20 minutes.
  10. Finish baking dough: Remove top pan and parchment, bake uncovered for an additional 7–9 minutes until golden. Cool 20 minutes on pan, then transfer to rack to cool completely.
  11. Whip heavy cream: Using a mixer, whip cold heavy cream on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes.
  12. Combine pastry cream and whipped cream: Fold chilled pastry cream into whipped cream on low speed until smooth and combined. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours.
  13. Trim and cut pastry: Trim edges of cooled pastry to straighten and cut into 15 roughly 3x3 inch squares (adjust size based on actual pastry dimensions).
  14. Make vanilla glaze: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
  15. Melt chocolate: Microwave chopped chocolate in 20-second increments, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Transfer to piping bag or squeeze bottle.
  16. Decorate 5 pastry squares: Spread vanilla glaze on 5 squares placed on wire rack. Pipe 4 lines of melted chocolate across each, then use toothpick to create chevron designs alternating direction.
  17. Assemble pastries: Using a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, pipe 3 rows of 3 dollops each (9 total) of cream filling onto one plain square. Top with another plain square, press lightly. Pipe cream again, then top with decorated square. Repeat for all 5 pastries.
  18. Chill assembled pastries: Refrigerate assembled mille-feuille uncovered for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours before serving to set.
  19. Store leftovers: Keep mille-feuille refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days; note pastry softens over time.

Notes

  • Pie weights, dried beans, or rice can be used as weights during blind baking if pie weights are unavailable.
  • The pastry will shrink during baking; measure final baked pastry to accurately divide into 15 equal squares.
  • Do not over-mix the pastry cream with whipped cream to maintain a smooth and light texture.
  • The soft filling will spill out when cutting or biting into the pastry—this is normal and adds to the texture experience.
  • Using whole milk and heavy cream is important for texture and flavor; avoid low-fat or nondairy substitutes for best results.
  • For easier piping, use a large plastic sandwich bag with a corner snipped if a piping bag is not available.

Find it online: https://recipethrive.com/mille-feuille-napoleon-pastry-recipe/