Mille Feuille (1000 Sheets)
Buying Guide:
You can buy a good puff pastry from most high street supermarkets and if you are vegan or vegetarian then look out for the big V on the front of the box. Also try to buy just roll as this will make it easier to prepare. Please check out the other recipes that accompany this one when making your shopping list.
Equipment:
Bowl with plain flour for dusting, Rolling pin, pastry knife, white chopping board, fork, 3 flat baking trays, baking paper, 2 piping bags with a decorator’s tube and 3 medium mixing bowls, small pan, cocktail stick, whisk, pastry spatula, palette knife or pastry scraper, weighing scales, Jays cloth.
Recipe:
375grms Puff pastry, 50grms Dark chocolate, Pastry cream, Praline, Blackberries Icing – 30ml Warm water, 250grms Icing sugar, 2 tea spoons Lemon juice Pastry cream 1.5 litres, Praline 500grms
Method: (Prep & cook time 1½ hrs)
*Heat the oven to 200 C/400 F *Unroll the puff pastry and dust the top with flour then with your rolling pin, gently roll out until even but not thin. With the fork, prick the pastry all over and then trim the edges, cut the pastry in to 3 even rectangles and lightly mark the size of your rectangles into 3, 4 or 5 as this will give you the amount of portions that you will yield and enable you to make a neat cut once the pastry has been cooked. (Keep the trimmings as you can make these in to a tart or palmier biscuits) *Place the pastry on to a baking sheet lined with baking paper, cover with another piece of baking paper and another tray on top and bake for 20 minutes. Check the pastry and remove the top tray and baking paper and cook for another 5 minutes until golden. *Once cooked remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. *To make the icing, sieve the sugar in to a bowl and then gradually add the warm water until dissolved (a drop at a time). Add more sugar and water if needed but the icing should be able to coat the back of the spoon when ready. *Take a clean bowl, weigh the chocolate and place over a pan of simmering water and put in to a piping bag. *Cut in half your blackberries and place face down on to a clean jay’s cloth. *Take 2 of your pastry sheets and cover with your pre-made pastry cream using the piping bag but leave ½ centimetre from the edge. Cut where you had made the mark and separate, then pipe both ends and place the berries along the sides. *Put one on top of the other and leave to one side *Place the 3rd sheet of pastry on a wire rack and cover it evenly with the icing. *Working quickly so the icing don’t set, snip the chocolate piping bag and drizzle over the icing evenly and approximately 2 cm apart. Then using the cocktail stick run it up and down the opposite way to feather the icing and then leave to set. This is the top layer. *Once the icing has set, cut the same as before and place on the top of the Mille-Feuille to finish.
Pastry Cream
Buying Guide:
Depending on your dietary requirements will depend on the type of milk and flour you buy so just adjust your preference to suit your needs
Equipment:
Sieve, 1 wide bottom pan, heat proof spatula, 3 mixing bowls, plastic container, whisk, chopping board and small knife, measuring jug and weighing scales, dry oven cloth or gloves, mixing machine, 2 piping bags and star piping tube. (Optional)
Recipe:
1Ltr milk (As per dietary requirements), 1 Vanilla pod, 8 whole eggs, 60grms corn flour, 60grms plain flour, 400grms caster sugar.
Method:
*Measure the milk and pour in to your pan and heat gently over a low heat *With your knife, carefully cut the vanilla pod lengthways, scrap the seeds out and add to the milk *In both the bowls carefully crack 4 eggs in each then remove 4 yolks from one bowl and add to the other bowl, leaving behind the egg whites (Put the white in the fridge for meringues or Souffles) *Whisk the eggs and sieve out the shell by pouring in to a clean bowl. *Measure both flours with the sugar then add to the eggs and whisk together until pale. *Bring your milk to the boil and pour on to the egg mixture then pour back to the pan. *Heat gently until it thickens for approximately 5 minutes then pour it in to a plastic container and directly cover it with cling film to stop it from forming a skin. *Allow to cool then put it in the fridge to set for a few hours. *Remove from the fridge and blend in the mixing machine to smooth the cream then spoon in to the piping bags and place it back in the fridge until required.
Notes:
If you are using this with another sugared product like meringue or caramel then reduce the sugar by half.
Hazelnut Praline
Buying Guide:
Try to buy the hazelnuts without the skins on.
Equipment:
Baking tray, 1 wide based cooking pan clean oven cloth, oven gloves, chopping board, knife, pastry brush, small bowl, sugar thermometer or food probe, food blender, baking paper, plastic containers, scales.
Recipe:
250grms Hazelnuts, 500grms Caster Sugar, 250ml water, ¼ Lemon
Method: Hazelnuts *Turn on the oven and set it to 160*C
*Open your packet of hazelnuts, weigh and place on the baking tray then put in to the oven for 8-10 minutes. *If you buy them with the skins on then you will need to take them out of the oven and put them in to the clean oven cloth, cover over and rub them until the skins are separated. (Discard skin) *Place the hazelnuts back in to the oven for a further 5-8 minute until the nuts are golden brown. *When ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool and repeat the skin process if you need to. *When cooled put into an airtight container and kept like this they can stay fresh for up to a month.
Caramel *Use the baking sheet above, wipe clean and line it with baking paper *Take your pan and place on the scales then add the sugar and the water, then put on to the cooker and dissolve over a low heat. (Do not boil until dissolved) *Once dissolved turn the heat up and bring to the boil until the temperature reaches 194*C and golden in colour. *Giving you a heads up about this. Make sure you are careful when handling hot sugar and never stir it but gently swirl the pan to incorporate the outside of the caramel in to the middle.
*Remove from the heat and then add the nuts and mix. *Pour evenly on to the grease proof papered tray and cool. (Please see notes at the bottom) *Once all is cooled then break the caramel and place it in to a blending machine and blend until fine. *Your praline is now ready so store in an airtight container and use as required
NOTES! To clean the sugar pan add hot water and bring to the boil covered with a lid.
Blackberry Gel
Buying Guide:
Usually I would prefer to buy a liquid puree as it comes as a convenience although frozen berries are also a good choice and the price compared to fresh fruit is considerably cheaper.
Equipment:
Food blender, Sieve, medium sized bowl, measuring jug, scales, sauce pan, pastry scraper, spatula
Recipe:
125ml Water, 125g Caster sugar, 250ml Blackberry puree, 7g agar or veggie set
Method:
*Stock syrup – boil together the water and sugar then add the stabilizer, whisk and boil for 2 minutes. *In the food processor blend the fruit to a puree and sieve over a bowl to remove any pulp. *Mix both together in a bowl and cool over ice water or set it in the fridge for approximately an hour. *Once set it should feel like a spring like texture. *Place it back in to the food processor and blend until smooth and then put it in to a plastic bottle or a piping bag and then in to the fridge until needed.
Notes:
Agar agar and Veggie set are a suitable vegan stabilizer to gelatine as gelatine can be found in cows and pigs.
Vegan Pastry Cream
Buying Guide:
There are many types of milks available in the supermarkets for dietary requirements. Agave syrup is a good alternative to caster sugar.
Equipment:
Scales, Medium pot, Spatula, Measuring jug, Tbl & T’spoons, Whisk, Knife and Chopping board, Sieve, Food container.
Recipe:
500ml Plant based milk, 3 T’sp Vanilla extract or ½ Vanilla pods, 4 Tb’sp Tapioca.
Method:
*Weigh and put all your ingredients in the pot, whisk together then put on to cook. *Gradually bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. *once cooked, pour in to a food container and cool, then refrigerate and use as required. *When ready to use, beat it to soften the mixture and place in to a piping bag.
Notes:
Weigh all ingredients first and remember that Agave syrup is sweeter and is of liquid form so only add what you need to taste the sweetness if using without the hazelnut praline.