Mille-Feuille

Name: Mille-Feuille
Total time: 2 h 19 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 375 g All-butter puff pastry; 1 piece Vanilla pod; 500 ml Whole milk; 4 piece Egg yolks; 100 g Caster sugar; 40 g Plain flour; 20 g Unsalted butter; 30 g Dark chocolate; 80 g Icing sugar

2 hr 19 min · 23 min active · makes 3 pieces · ~1.25 kg · Hard

Mille-feuille with layers of all-butter puff pastry, vanilla pod crème pâtissière, and white icing feathered with dark chocolate. Serves 4.

See more →

Mille-Feuille

Mille-feuille with layers of all-butter puff pastry, vanilla pod crème pâtissière, and white icing feathered with dark chocolate. Serves 4.

See more →

TOTAL TIME

2 hr 19 min

ACTIVE TIME

23 min

QUANTITY

3 pieces · ~1.25 kg

DIFFICULTY

Hard

CUISINE

—

Who’s eating

People here are for suitability — allergies, preferences and what to watch for. Portion sizing is off for this recipe.

Portions & fullness

Ingredients0/9

Tools0/22

Ingredients

0/9 gathered · 4 servings

375g

1piece

500ml

4piece

100g

40g

20g

30g

80g

#	Quantity	Notes	State
1	375g	—	—
2	1piece	—	—
3	500ml	—	—
4	4piece	—	—
5	100g	—	—
6	40g	—	—
7	20g	—	—
8	30g	—	—
9	80g	—	—

Tools

23 items

Serveware

1 item

Procedure

39 steps

1 of 39

Heat the oven to 200 °C and allow it to come fully up to temperature.

200°C

⏱ 10 min

2 of 39

Lay the block of puff pastry on the chopping board.

All-butter puff pastry · 375 g

⏱ 10s

ResultAll-butter puff pastry

3 of 39

Roll the pastry out firmly with a rolling pin into a rectangle roughly 30 cm × 40 cm and about 3 mm thick.

All-butter puff pastry · step 2

⏱ 1 min 30s

ResultThin puff pastry sheet

4 of 39

Lift the pastry sheet carefully onto the baking tray.

Thin puff pastry sheet · step 3

⏱ 15s

ResultThin puff pastry sheet

5 of 39

Dock the pastry all over with a fork at 2 cm intervals so it bakes evenly without puffing into large bubbles.

⏱ 30s

ResultDocked puff pastry sheet

6 of 39

Slide the baking tray into the oven.

⏱ 20s

ResultDocked puff pastry sheet

7 of 39

Bake the pastry until it is deep golden brown and thoroughly crisp all the way through, about 20 minutes.

200°C

⏱ 20 min

ResultBaked puff pastry sheet

8 of 39

Using oven gloves, lift the baking tray out of the oven and set it on a heatproof surface.

⏱ 10s

ResultBaked puff pastry sheet

9 of 39

Leave the pastry on the tray to cool completely to room temperature before trimming.

⏱ 30 min

ResultCooled puff pastry sheet

10 of 39

Slide the cooled pastry sheet onto the chopping board.

⏱ 10s

ResultCooled puff pastry sheet

11 of 39

Trim the edges of the pastry with a bread knife using a gentle sawing motion so you have a neat rectangle with clean, straight sides.

⏱ 30s

ResultTrimmed pastry rectangle

12 of 39

Cut the trimmed rectangle into 3 equal strips of the same width, sawing gently so the layers do not shatter.

Into 3 equal portions

⏱ 45s

ResultPastry thirdsused in step 42

13 of 39

Split the vanilla pod lengthways with a paring knife, scrape out the seeds and drop both pod and seeds into the small saucepan.

Vanilla pod · 1 piece

⏱ 10s

ResultVanilla pod

14 of 39

Pour the milk into the saucepan with the vanilla.

Whole milk · 500 ml

⏱ 10s

ResultVanilla pod and whole milk

15 of 39

Warm the milk over a medium heat until it just begins to steam and small bubbles appear around the edge, then remove from the heat.

⏱ 5 min

ResultHot vanilla milkused in step 21

16 of 39

Drop the egg yolks into the medium bowl.

Egg yolks · 4 piece

⏱ 15s

ResultEgg yolks

17 of 39

Add the caster sugar to the yolks.

Caster sugar · 100 g

⏱ 10s

ResultEgg yolks and caster sugar

18 of 39

Whisk the yolks and sugar together vigorously until the mixture turns pale and thick and falls from the whisk in a ribbon.

⏱ 1 min

ResultPale yolk mixture

19 of 39

Sift the plain flour into the bowl over the yolk mixture.

Plain flour · 40 g

⏱ 10s

ResultPale yolk mixture and plain flour

20 of 39

Whisk the flour into the yolk mixture until completely smooth with no dry streaks.

⏱ 30s

ResultSmooth custard base

21 of 39

Slowly pour the hot vanilla milk into the bowl in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly so the yolks do not scramble.

Hot vanilla milk · step 15

⏱ 20s

ResultHot vanilla milk and smooth custard base

22 of 39

Pour the mixture back through a fine sieve into the small saucepan to catch the vanilla pod and any cooked egg.

Hot vanilla milk and smooth custard base · step 21

⏱ 20s

ResultStrained custard

23 of 39

Set the saucepan over a medium heat and whisk continuously, making sure to reach the corners of the pan, until the cream thickens dramatically, comes to a boil and then cooks for a further 2 minutes.

⏱ 5 min

ResultThick pastry cream

24 of 39

Drop the cold butter into the hot pastry cream.

Unsalted butter · 20 g

⏱ 10s

ResultThick pastry cream and unsalted butter

25 of 39

Whisk the butter in briskly until it is fully melted and the cream is glossy and smooth.

⏱ 20s

ResultButter-enriched pastry cream

26 of 39

Press a sheet of cling film directly onto the surface of the cream so a skin does not form.

⏱ 15s

27 of 39

Put the saucepan into the refrigerator.

⏱ 10s

ResultButter-enriched pastry cream

28 of 39

Refrigerate the pastry cream until it is completely cold and firm, at least 2 hours.

⏱ 2 hr

ResultChilled pastry cream

29 of 39

Break the dark chocolate into the small bowl.

Dark chocolate · 30 g

⏱ 10s

ResultDark chocolate

30 of 39

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until it is just smooth and fully liquid.

⏱ 1 min

ResultMelted dark chocolateused in step 34

31 of 39

Sift the icing sugar into a clean medium bowl.

Icing sugar · 80 g

⏱ 10s

ResultIcing sugar

32 of 39

Stir in just enough cold water, a teaspoon at a time, until the icing is thick, smooth and falls from the spoon in a slow, steady ribbon.

⏱ 30s

ResultWhite glacé icing

33 of 39

Lay one pastry strip on the board and spread the white glacé icing evenly over its top surface with a palette knife, working to the edges.

⏱ 30s

ResultIced top pastry stripused in step 40

34 of 39

Transfer the melted chocolate to the small jug.

Melted dark chocolate · step 30

⏱ 10s

ResultMelted dark chocolate

35 of 39

Drizzle the melted chocolate in thin parallel lines across the wet white icing, then drag a cocktail stick across the lines at right angles to feather a chevron pattern.

⏱ 20s

ResultFeather-iced top layer

36 of 39

Slide the decorated top strip onto a clean plate and set aside while you assemble the layers.

Feather-iced top layer · step 35

⏱ 10s

ResultFeather-iced top layerused in step 44

37 of 39

Take the chilled pastry cream from the refrigerator and peel away the cling film.

⏱ 10s

ResultChilled pastry cream

38 of 39

Whisk the pastry cream briefly to loosen it back to a smooth, pipeable consistency.

⏱ 20s

ResultSmooth cold pastry cream

39 of 39

Spoon the pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a plain round nozzle.

Smooth cold pastry cream · step 38

⏱ 20s

ResultSmooth cold pastry creamused in step 41

Total Time2 hr 19 min

#	Product	Tool	Action
1	—	200°C	Heat the oven to 200 °C and allow it to come fully up to temperature.⏱ 10 min
2	375 g		Lay the block of puff pastry on the chopping board.⏱ 10sResultAll-butter puff pastry
3	All-butter puff pastrystep 2		Roll the pastry out firmly with a rolling pin into a rectangle roughly 30 cm × 40 cm and about 3 mm thick.⏱ 1 min 30sResultThin puff pastry sheet
4	Thin puff pastry sheetstep 3		Lift the pastry sheet carefully onto the baking tray.⏱ 15sResultThin puff pastry sheet
5	—		Dock the pastry all over with a fork at 2 cm intervals so it bakes evenly without puffing into large bubbles.⏱ 30sResultDocked puff pastry sheet
6	—		Slide the baking tray into the oven.⏱ 20sResultDocked puff pastry sheet
7	—	200°C	Bake the pastry until it is deep golden brown and thoroughly crisp all the way through, about 20 minutes.⏱ 20 minResultBaked puff pastry sheet
8	—		Using oven gloves, lift the baking tray out of the oven and set it on a heatproof surface.⏱ 10sResultBaked puff pastry sheet
9	—		Leave the pastry on the tray to cool completely to room temperature before trimming.⏱ 30 minResultCooled puff pastry sheet
10	—		Slide the cooled pastry sheet onto the chopping board.⏱ 10sResultCooled puff pastry sheet
11	—		Trim the edges of the pastry with a bread knife using a gentle sawing motion so you have a neat rectangle with clean, straight sides.⏱ 30sResultTrimmed pastry rectangle
12	—		Cut the trimmed rectangle into 3 equal strips of the same width, sawing gently so the layers do not shatter. → Into 3 equal portions⏱ 45sResultPastry thirdsused in step 42
13	1 piece		Split the vanilla pod lengthways with a paring knife, scrape out the seeds and drop both pod and seeds into the small saucepan.⏱ 10sResultVanilla pod
14	500 ml		Pour the milk into the saucepan with the vanilla.⏱ 10sResultVanilla pod and whole milk
15	—		Warm the milk over a medium heat until it just begins to steam and small bubbles appear around the edge, then remove from the heat.⏱ 5 minResultHot vanilla milkused in step 21
16	4 piece		Drop the egg yolks into the medium bowl.⏱ 15sResultEgg yolks
17	100 g		Add the caster sugar to the yolks.⏱ 10sResultEgg yolks and caster sugar
18	—		Whisk the yolks and sugar together vigorously until the mixture turns pale and thick and falls from the whisk in a ribbon.⏱ 1 minResultPale yolk mixture
19	40 g		Sift the plain flour into the bowl over the yolk mixture.⏱ 10sResultPale yolk mixture and plain flour
20	—		Whisk the flour into the yolk mixture until completely smooth with no dry streaks.⏱ 30sResultSmooth custard base
21	Hot vanilla milkstep 15		Slowly pour the hot vanilla milk into the bowl in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly so the yolks do not scramble.⏱ 20sResultHot vanilla milk and smooth custard base
22	Hot vanilla milk and smooth custard basestep 21		Pour the mixture back through a fine sieve into the small saucepan to catch the vanilla pod and any cooked egg.⏱ 20sResultStrained custard
23	—		Set the saucepan over a medium heat and whisk continuously, making sure to reach the corners of the pan, until the cream thickens dramatically, comes to a boil and then cooks for a further 2 minutes.⏱ 5 minResultThick pastry cream
24	20 g		Drop the cold butter into the hot pastry cream.⏱ 10sResultThick pastry cream and unsalted butter
25	—		Whisk the butter in briskly until it is fully melted and the cream is glossy and smooth.⏱ 20sResultButter-enriched pastry cream
26	—		Press a sheet of cling film directly onto the surface of the cream so a skin does not form.⏱ 15s
27	—		Put the saucepan into the refrigerator.⏱ 10sResultButter-enriched pastry cream
28	—		Refrigerate the pastry cream until it is completely cold and firm, at least 2 hours.⏱ 2 hrResultChilled pastry cream
29	30 g		Break the dark chocolate into the small bowl.⏱ 10sResultDark chocolate
30	—		Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until it is just smooth and fully liquid.⏱ 1 minResultMelted dark chocolateused in step 34
31	80 g		Sift the icing sugar into a clean medium bowl.⏱ 10sResultIcing sugar
32	—		Stir in just enough cold water, a teaspoon at a time, until the icing is thick, smooth and falls from the spoon in a slow, steady ribbon.⏱ 30sResultWhite glacé icing
33	—		Lay one pastry strip on the board and spread the white glacé icing evenly over its top surface with a palette knife, working to the edges.⏱ 30sResultIced top pastry stripused in step 40
34	Melted dark chocolatestep 30		Transfer the melted chocolate to the small jug.⏱ 10sResultMelted dark chocolate
35	—		Drizzle the melted chocolate in thin parallel lines across the wet white icing, then drag a cocktail stick across the lines at right angles to feather a chevron pattern.⏱ 20sResultFeather-iced top layer
36	Feather-iced top layerstep 35		Slide the decorated top strip onto a clean plate and set aside while you assemble the layers.⏱ 10sResultFeather-iced top layerused in step 44
37	—		Take the chilled pastry cream from the refrigerator and peel away the cling film.⏱ 10sResultChilled pastry cream
38	—		Whisk the pastry cream briefly to loosen it back to a smooth, pipeable consistency.⏱ 20sResultSmooth cold pastry cream
39	Smooth cold pastry creamstep 38		Spoon the pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a plain round nozzle.⏱ 20sResultSmooth cold pastry creamused in step 41
Total Time			2 hr 19 min

Serving

A batch eaten a portion at a time — about 4 portions. Serve what is wanted now and keep the rest.

Slide one plain pastry strip from the board onto the serving plate to form the base layer.
Pipe an even, generous layer of pastry cream over the base strip, covering it completely with neat blobs or lines right to the edges.
Lay the second plain pastry strip gently on top of the cream layer, pressing it down very lightly so it sits flat.
Pipe a second even layer of pastry cream over the second strip in the same way.
Carefully lift the decorated top strip and lay it, iced side up, over the second cream layer to complete the mille-feuille.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated · pre-cooking · 100% ingredients covered

Nutrient	Per serving
	860kcal
	15g
	43g
	22g
	106g
	54g
	1g
	423mg

Ingredients0/9

Tools0/22

Recipe

Mille-Feuille

Mille-feuille with layers of all-butter puff pastry, vanilla pod crème pâtissière, and white icing feathered with dark chocolate. Serves 4.

What you’ll doYou will bake a sheet of puff pastry until crisp, then prepare a vanilla pastry cream while it cools. Once the cream is chilled and firm, you will cut the pastry into three strips, ice the top one with white glacé icing feathered with dark chocolate, and layer the remaining strips with piped cream to build the final cake.

Serves4

Total2 hr 19 min

LevelHard

Ingredients

All-butter puff pastry375 g
Vanilla pod1 piece
Whole milk500 ml
Egg yolks4 piece
Caster sugar100 g
Plain flour40 g
Unsalted butter20 g
Dark chocolate30 g
Icing sugar80 g

Tools

SpoonSieveSmall jugServing plateRolling pinSmall bowlBread knifeOvenPalette knifeSmall saucepanMedium bowlSkewerCling filmPiping bagWhiskBaking trayRefrigeratorParing knifePlateForkOven gloveChopping boardSkewers

Method

Heat the oven to 200 °C and allow it to come fully up to temperature.

200°C10 minOven

Lay the block of puff pastry on the chopping board.

10sChopping boardAll-butter puff pastry · 375 g

Roll the pastry out firmly with a rolling pin into a rectangle roughly 30 cm × 40 cm and about 3 mm thick.

1 min 30sChopping board, Rolling pinAll-butter puff pastry · step 2

Lift the pastry sheet carefully onto the baking tray.

15sBaking trayThin puff pastry sheet · step 3

Dock the pastry all over with a fork at 2 cm intervals so it bakes evenly without puffing into large bubbles.

30sBaking tray, Fork

Slide the baking tray into the oven.

20sBaking tray, Oven, Oven glove

Bake the pastry until it is deep golden brown and thoroughly crisp all the way through, about 20 minutes.

200°C20 minBaking tray, Oven

Using oven gloves, lift the baking tray out of the oven and set it on a heatproof surface.

10sBaking tray, Oven, Oven glove

Leave the pastry on the tray to cool completely to room temperature before trimming.

30 minBaking tray

Slide the cooled pastry sheet onto the chopping board.

10sChopping board

Trim the edges of the pastry with a bread knife using a gentle sawing motion so you have a neat rectangle with clean, straight sides.

30sChopping board, Bread knife

Cut the trimmed rectangle into 3 equal strips of the same width, sawing gently so the layers do not shatter. → Into 3 equal portions

Result · Pastry thirds · used in step 42

45sChopping board, Bread knife

Split the vanilla pod lengthways with a paring knife, scrape out the seeds and drop both pod and seeds into the small saucepan.

10sSmall saucepan, Paring knifeVanilla pod · 1 piece

Pour the milk into the saucepan with the vanilla.

10sSmall saucepanWhole milk · 500 ml

Warm the milk over a medium heat until it just begins to steam and small bubbles appear around the edge, then remove from the heat.

Result · Hot vanilla milk · used in step 21

5 minSmall saucepan

Drop the egg yolks into the medium bowl.

15sMedium bowlEgg yolks · 4 piece

Add the caster sugar to the yolks.

10sMedium bowlCaster sugar · 100 g

Whisk the yolks and sugar together vigorously until the mixture turns pale and thick and falls from the whisk in a ribbon.

1 minMedium bowl, Whisk

Sift the plain flour into the bowl over the yolk mixture.

10sMedium bowlPlain flour · 40 g

Whisk the flour into the yolk mixture until completely smooth with no dry streaks.

30sMedium bowl, Whisk

Slowly pour the hot vanilla milk into the bowl in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly so the yolks do not scramble.

20sMedium bowlHot vanilla milk · step 15

Pour the mixture back through a fine sieve into the small saucepan to catch the vanilla pod and any cooked egg.

20sSmall saucepan, SieveHot vanilla milk and smooth custard base · step 21

Set the saucepan over a medium heat and whisk continuously, making sure to reach the corners of the pan, until the cream thickens dramatically, comes to a boil and then cooks for a further 2 minutes.

5 minSmall saucepan, Whisk

Drop the cold butter into the hot pastry cream.

10sSmall saucepanUnsalted butter · 20 g

Whisk the butter in briskly until it is fully melted and the cream is glossy and smooth.

20sSmall saucepan, Whisk

Press a sheet of cling film directly onto the surface of the cream so a skin does not form.

15sSmall saucepan, Cling film

Put the saucepan into the refrigerator.

10sSmall saucepan, Refrigerator

Refrigerate the pastry cream until it is completely cold and firm, at least 2 hours.

2 hrSmall saucepan

Break the dark chocolate into the small bowl.

10sSmall bowlDark chocolate · 30 g

Melt the chocolate in the microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until it is just smooth and fully liquid.

Result · Melted dark chocolate · used in step 34

1 minSmall bowl

Sift the icing sugar into a clean medium bowl.

10sMedium bowlIcing sugar · 80 g

Stir in just enough cold water, a teaspoon at a time, until the icing is thick, smooth and falls from the spoon in a slow, steady ribbon.

30sMedium bowl, Spoon

Lay one pastry strip on the board and spread the white glacé icing evenly over its top surface with a palette knife, working to the edges.

Result · Iced top pastry strip · used in step 40

30sChopping board, Palette knife

Transfer the melted chocolate to the small jug.

10sSmall jugMelted dark chocolate · step 30

Drizzle the melted chocolate in thin parallel lines across the wet white icing, then drag a cocktail stick across the lines at right angles to feather a chevron pattern.

20sChopping board, Skewers

Slide the decorated top strip onto a clean plate and set aside while you assemble the layers.

Result · Feather-iced top layer · used in step 44

10sPlateFeather-iced top layer · step 35

Take the chilled pastry cream from the refrigerator and peel away the cling film.

10sSmall saucepan, Refrigerator, Cling film

Whisk the pastry cream briefly to loosen it back to a smooth, pipeable consistency.

20sSmall saucepan, Whisk

Spoon the pastry cream into a piping bag fitted with a plain round nozzle.

Result · Smooth cold pastry cream · used in step 41

20sPiping bagSmooth cold pastry cream · step 38

Slide one plain pastry strip from the board onto the serving plate to form the base layer.

10sServing plateIced top pastry strip · step 33

Pipe an even, generous layer of pastry cream over the base strip, covering it completely with neat blobs or lines right to the edges.

Result · First cream layer · used in step 43

45sServing plateSmooth cold pastry cream · step 39

Lay the second plain pastry strip gently on top of the cream layer, pressing it down very lightly so it sits flat.

10sServing platePastry thirds · step 12

Pipe a second even layer of pastry cream over the second strip in the same way.

45sServing plateRemaining pastry cream · step 41First cream layer and pastry thirds · step 42

Carefully lift the decorated top strip and lay it, iced side up, over the second cream layer to complete the mille-feuille.

Result · Mille-Feuille

15sServing plateFeather-iced top layer · step 36

Printed 10 October 2026