This classic patisserie favourite does require a little more effort than your average bake, but we promise it will pay off in both taste and the looks in your friends and families eyes as they marvel at your baking skills!
To get achieve equal sizes when forming the three rectangles, lay the first one you cut on top of the other to use as a guide, then repeat.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 350g puff pastry
- 300ml double cream
- 1 vanilla pod
- 600g strawberries
- 1/2 lemon, zest only
- Small bunch of basil, leaves only
- 50g good-quality white chocolate
Method
- Heat your oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 6. Lightly flour a surface using some plain flour, then scatter a little sugar over the top. Roll the pastry out to a rectangle, around 28x30cm, then line a large baking sheet with parchment and scatter with a little more sugar. Carefully, using a rolling pin, lift the pastry onto the baking parchment.
- Scatter a little more sugar over the pastry and cover with another sheet of parchment. Lay another baking sheet on top, and weigh it down with an empty ceramic dish. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the pastry is golden and crisp, then set aside to cool.
- Make the filling by pouring the cream into a bowl along with 3 tbsp of sugar and the vanilla seeds. Whisk until the cream just about holds it shape, then set to one side. Hull the strawberries, then chop into 3 or 4 chunks. Finely chop the basil, and fold through the cream along with the strawberries and lemon zest. Cover and chill until needed.
- When the pastry has cooled completely, trim the edges to form a neat rectangle and then cut into three equal rectangles.
- Assemble the mille-feulle by laying down one rectangle of pastry, add half the cream and strawberry mix and flatten down with the back of a spoon. Place the second pastry layer on top and press down gently. Finely grate over half of the white chocolate, and top with the remaining cream mix, then place the final layer of pastry on top and press down gently.
- Smooth the edges of the mille-feuille using a pallete knife so that the filling is level with the edges of the pastry, then finely grate the remaining white chocolate on top.
- To serve, carefully slice the mille-feuille into 6 equal pieces.
Lead image: alpaksoy via Getty images.