Friday, October 26, 2012


THE DARING BAKERS OCTOBER CHALLENGE: 

Layering Up: Mille-feuille/Napoleon

Our October 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Suz of Serenely Full. Suz challenged us to not only to tackle buttery and flaky puff pastry, but then take it step further and create a sinfully delicious Mille Feuille dessert with it!


This is just the reason I joined the Daring Bakers, to make this kind of thing, the things I've looked at (and eaten) and always fancied making but thought they were really complicated.
These delicious slices are also known as Napoleons, and in New Zealand and Australia as custard squares, vanilla slices or pastry cream slices.
Here was my chance to make Mille-feuille ( say Meel Foy), starting off with making the puff pastry. Mille-feuille means a thousand leaves - all the layers of the pastry. Quite confusing really and nobody had the answer - because in Mille-feuille the pastry is compressed during cooking to prevent the layers from puffing up too much - so you don't see the layers ???
Making the pastry was time consuming  but not difficult and it had a 
wonderfully smooth texture - I'm going to make it again and use in a recipe where it puffs up, I'm expecting a good result.




Creme patisserie is spread between the pastry layers and topped with icing.



Melted chocolate is next and piped in lines along the top - this didn't have to be too precise, which suited me just fine.



The next part was just magic - I'd never researched making Mille - Feuille so always thought those swirly  arrows were amazingly intricate piping work - but all was to be revealed!


By simply lightly drawing a knife up and down alternately through the lines of chocolate those swirly arrows appear - this was my best part :) I never knew.


This was a thoroughly enjoyable challenge for me - Suz was a great host giving feedback to every one who shared their results during the month - thanks Suz for a great challenge.

Recipe and step by step instructions can be found here .

16 comments:

  1. As your new live in taste tester, I can vouch that these were even more delicious than they looked!!

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  2. The mille feuille looks so good! And your slices are perfectly cut!
    I'm still curious about why the pastry is compressed during baking, though I usually don't think about it when I'm eating this delicious dessert ;-)

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  3. It is a weird one RE flattening the pastry. Like you, I want to try the recipe again but let it puff up properly this time. I'm thinking a big chicken pie!

    Your mille feuille turned out so beautifully, Heather! Such perfect slices & decoration. Lucky kidsmyth being your live in taste tester - that sounds like one cushy gig. :)

    Thanks for much taking part in the challenge.

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  4. Heather you have done such a beautiful and perfect job on the challenge! I could never tell this was your first time making puff pstry. I also wondered why flatten the pastry, but it doesn't get less flaky and delicious after all.

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  5. Gorgeous. Absolutely, marvelously, amazingly beautiful work. Your mille feuille is a work of art, and I bet it was delicious, to boot :) Great job!!

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  6. Beautiful. Your mille feuille look like they should be in a bakery window! Thank you so much for sharing this with us this month! Ionly wish I cold have been there to share in the tasting, too!

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  7. Gorgeous job! Your napoleons look amazing! And yes, the Daring Bakers is awesome for helping you to do the crazy things you have always wanted to do but never dared to - and then teaching you it wasn't so hard after all!

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  8. I agree, challenges like this are what I joined the group for :) Beautiful job on your mille feuilles - especially the swirly arrows :) Cheers!

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  9. They look impressive! I admire you, 'cause my big problem was cutting it into slices, but yours looks so beautifully cut! Any tips for that? :) Great job on the challenge!

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  10. Looks great (and no problems!!)

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  11. Hi Heather, thanks for popping by to mine, and great to know we share similar love for Monsieur Lanlard! Your mille feuille turned out great,hope to see your beautiful creations again on DB next month!x

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  12. Wow! Your chocolate decoration is simply outstanding! I love how exact lines you've made. Great job!

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  13. looks soooooooo,
    Delicious,
    Soft,
    Yummmiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee....
    i would love to have..

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