Italian Millefoglie using puff pastry sheets is so easy to make! Also known as Mille Feuille which is the French name. Layers of puff pastry are filled with a light and airy vanilla whipped cream, but the top layer is generally dusted with icing sugar.Sometimes millefoglie are filled with Crema Pasticcera Italian pastry Cream also known as crème pâtissière and when combined with ready made puff pastry makes the perfect go to dessert for sharing.Like desserts made with puff pastry? Try my easy to make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Puff Pastry Rolls, Cream Filled Pastry Horns, or Nutella Puff Pastry Turnovers.
Roll out your puff pastry on a surface dusted with flour. You want to role out the dough to just the size of your baking sheet.
Place the puff pastry on a baking sheet and cover with parchment paper.
Place another baking sheet on top of the parchment covered puff pastry and bake in the oven until you get a golden brown colour. You will need to flip the puff pastry (carefully) half way through the baking - about 15 minutes.
Transfer the puff pastry onto a cooling rack and let cool.
Cut in half, then cut in half again. A pizza cutter can help to cut clean lines.
Continue cutting the puff pastry in half until you have enough squares to make 4 pastries 3 layers each.
Pastry Cream
Prepare the pastry cream by making Dream Whip as per the box directions and adding a tablespoon of vanilla pudding. Instead of milk use full fat cream or whipping cream.
Place the pastry cream in a pastry bag and cut the end off, no tip is required. If you don't have a pastry bag, use a sandwich bag and cut the corner off.
Assembly
Start assembling the mille feuille by piping cream onto the bottom layer. Place the middle layer on top. Top the middle layer with cream and then place the third layer on top. You can also add fresh fruit in the puff pastry layers or on the top of the pastry.
Continue until you have used up all of the puff pastry you have cut into squares.
Dust the top of the pastry with icing sugar (confectioner's sugar) and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Notes
Most pastries need to be consumed within 2 days, no exception with these millefoglie pastries filled with pastry cream.
How to Make the Glaze (Optional)
To make the glaze add the 3 cups powdered sugar to a bowl then add ½ tsp vanilla and a few tablespoons of milk. Whisk together then add more milk as needed until you get a thick, spreadable consistency.Transfer about ⅓ cup of the glaze to another bowl then whisk in the ¼ cup cocoa powder and add milk (½ cup more or less) as needed until you get a smooth consistency similar to the vanilla batch. Transfer each batch to a piping bag. You can use a smaller round tip for the chocolate or just snip the tip off. If you don't have piping tips, don't worry, just snip tiny holes.