The faux “mille feuille”
The easy and quick alternative to the famous French pastry. Butter cookies and fragrant custard cream form layers of indulgence!
Servings: 8 -10
Ingredients
- 2 packages betit beurres about 14 oz / 400 grams total (you will have some left, dip them in your coffee!)
- ¼ cup milk
- For the cream patisserie:
- ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
- ½ cup (80 grams) cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs or 6 yolks plus 2 whole eggs
- 4 cups (1000 grams) milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons butter
- A casserole dish approximately 8x11 inches 20x28 cm or a round pan 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter
- Some icing sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling before serving
Instructions
- Make the cream patisserie: In a big bowl, using a fork, mix together the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Add the eggs and mix until smooth. (This method ensures that corn flour won’t form any lumps)
- In a large pot, heat the milk with the honey and vanilla, but do not boil. When it gets really warm, take it off the heat.
- Add a cup of hot milk into the egg mixture and stir really well. Then, add the egg mixture into the pot with the milk and start stirring with a whisk.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the cream thickens. At first it will look thin and frothy, but it will start to thicken after a while. You should take it off the heat just before it starts to bubble, or the minute you see the first bubble.
- Strain through a strainer over a bowl. (You can skip straining your cream if you’re sure it has no lumps or cooked egg pieces, but you should transfer it into another bowl to prevent it from cooking further. If you’re like me and you don’t want to wash another bowl, fill your sink with some cold water and place the pot inside to cool it rapidly). Add the butter and stir to combine.
- Pour the ¼ cup milk into a plate, and very briefly dip the cookies and lay them into the casserole. If you have any empty spaces, break a cookie and fill the gaps.
- Pour one third of the cream over the cookies and level it with a spatula.Cover with another layer of cookies, cream, cookies and then cream.Crumble some of the leftover cookies (with your hands or a food processor) and cover the top of the dessert.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.Sprinkle with some icing sugar and cinnamon just before serving.Eat.
Notes
- For this recipe, a kitchen scale will give more consistent results than measuring cups, so if you have one you should use it.
- Pastry cream (patisserie) is typically made with egg yolks and cream. I have adjusted this recipe in using whole eggs. However, if you want to use more yolks, you can use two yolks for every one whole egg.
- Keep refrigerated for up to 4-5 days (if it lasts so long!)
- Pastry cream (patisserie) is typically made with egg yolks and cream. I have adjusted this recipe in using whole eggs. However, if you want to use more yolks, you can use two yolks for every one whole egg.
- Keep refrigerated for up to 4-5 days (if it lasts so long!)
