Mille-feuilles - Napoleon - Milhojas
This delicious dessert, also known as Mille-feuilles, Napoleon or Milhojas (which means a thousand leaves) is one of my favorites! The combination of the puff pastry layers with the crème pâtissière and the dulce the leche are everything you ever dreamed of.
“Milhojas” are quite famous in Venezuela and I grew up eating them. Recently, my sister who is an incredible baker made them for me and shared a recipe from Mommy’s Home Cooking, which we adjusted a little by adding Dulce de Leche. I hope you enjoy it!
Ingredients:
2 sheet puff pastry thawed (if frozen)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting the top
Dulce de leche to taste (add a layer on top of the pastry cream)
For the Pastry Cream:
2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean
2/3 cup sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
4 egg yolks
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
Unfold the puff pastry carefully and cut out the desired shape using a sharp knife or cookie cutter. I used 3.5 inches rounds.
Place the cut-out pastry on the prepared baking sheet. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Cover with another Silpat or parchment sheet on top and place another baking sheet on top to prevent the dough from puffing too much.
Bake for about 25 minutes. Check for doneness, and extend the baking period as required. The pastry is ready when it’s almost cooked through and turns a rich golden brown.
Remove the pastry from the oven and brush the top with corn syrup; this will help to keep them crisp. Return the pastry to the oven and bake, uncovered for an additional 3 - 5 minutes. Once the syrup caramelizes, remove from the oven and allow cooling completely on a wire rack.
Prepare the pastry cream:
In a saucepan put the milk with the vanilla pod and seeds. Bring to a boil, remove from heat and put aside.
In a bowl mix the sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch. Mix everything until perfectly combined.
Add hot milk slowly, stirring constantly.
Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent forming a skin on the surface. Refrigerate until chilled.
Assemble:
Take one layer of caramelized puff pastry and spread pastry cream over the top, then drizzle the dulce the leche. Place another layer of puff pastry on top of the filling. Add more pastry cream and more dulce the leche. Then add the last layer of pastry. (If you are conscious about the calories you can do 1 layer only)
Allow to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. Sprinkle liberally with confectioners’ sugar and serve.
