Millefoglie with Strawberry Puff Pastries

The millefoglie with strawberry puff pastries is a delicious dessert that combines the crispness of puff pastry with the sweetness of strawberries and the creaminess of whipped cream or custard. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 3 rectangular sheets of puff pastry (ready-made or homemade)
• 500 g of fresh strawberries
• Powdered sugar (as needed for dusting)
• 500 ml of custard or 500 ml of fresh cream for whipping
• Granulated sugar (enough to caramelize the surface)

For the custard (if you choose to use it):

• 6 egg yolks
• 150 g of sugar
• 50 g of flour
• 1/2 liter of milk
• Lemon zest

Preparation

1. Start by preparing the puff pastry if you have chosen to make it at home, or preheat the oven to 200 °C (392 °F) and roll out the sheets of ready-made puff pastry.
2. Prick the pastry with a fork to prevent it from puffing up too much and cut it into rectangles or squares of your preferred size.
3. Place the pastry pieces on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and sprinkle lightly with granulated sugar. This will help them to caramelize in the oven.
4. Bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the puff pastry becomes golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool.

If you make custard: 5. Mix the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is light and frothy. Add the flour and mix well to avoid lumps. 6. Bring the milk to a boil with the lemon zest, then remove the zest and slowly pour it over the mixture of eggs, sugar, and flour, stirring continuously. 7. Put everything back on the stove and cook until the cream has thickened, continuing to stir. 8. Let the custard cool, covering it with cling film to prevent a skin from forming on the surface.

If you use the cream: 9. Whip the fresh cream with a little powdered sugar until it is firm and frothy.

Assembly: 10. Wash and slice the strawberries. 11. Place a layer of puff pastry on the plate, add a layer of custard or whipped cream and arrange some strawberry slices on top. 12. Overlay another layer of puff pastry and repeat the operation until all the ingredients are used up, ending with puff pastry. 13. Dust the final layer of pastry with powdered sugar for a final touch of sweetness.

Did you know?

The word “millefoglie” comes from the French “mille-feuille”, which means “thousand leaves”, indicating the numerous layers of puff pastry used in its preparation. This dessert is popular in various national cuisines with slight variations in the preparation and ingredients.

For a truly Italian variant, you could add between layers a sprinkling of crumbled meringue mushrooms that will add a pleasant crunchiness to the dessert. To accompany the millefoglie, a chilled Passito di Pantelleria wine is a pairing worth trying.