Strawberry White Chocolate Millefeuille Food

STRAWBERRY & WHITE CHOCOLATE MILLEFEUILLE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. On a lightly floured surface scattered with a little sugar, roll out the pastry to a rectangle slightly larger than 28 x 30cm. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment and scatter with more sugar. Use the rolling pin to lift the pastry onto the baking parchment.
• Scatter more caster sugar over the pastry and cover with another sheet of baking parchment. Lay another heavy baking sheet (or a baking sheet weighed down with an empty ceramic oven dish if yours aren't heavy) on top and bake for 25-30 mins until the pastry is golden and crisp, then set aside to cool.
• To make the filling, tip the cream into a bowl with 3 tbsp of sugar, and the vanilla seeds. Lightly whisk until the cream just hold its shape and set aside. Hull and quarter the strawberries and set a few aside for the salad, then cut the rest into 3 or 4 chunks. Finely shred the basil, then fold through the cream with the chopped strawberries and lemon zest, then chill until needed.
• When the pastry has cooled completely trim the edges to form a neat 28 x 30cm rectangle. Cut into 3 equal rectangles - to get them precisely the same size, cut one then lay it on the rest of the pastry and use it as a guide to the next rectangle, then repeat.
• To assemble the millefeuille, lay down one rectangle of pastry, add half of the cream and strawberry mix and flatten with the back of a spoon. Place the second pastry layer on top and gently press down. Finely grate over half the white chocolate and top with the remaining cream mix. Place the final layer of pastry on and press down gently so that the filling just starts to bulge over the edges.
• Use a palette knife to smooth the filling along the sides so that it is level with the edges of pastry and fills any gaps. Add a smear of filling across cut pastry edges to help the grated chocolate to stick. Grate chocolate on top. The easiest way to get grated chocolate to stick to the sides is to help it on with a palette knife. Mix the reserved strawberries and the small basil leaves to make a simple salad.
• To serve, carefully slice the millefeuille into 6 equal pieces. As you slice, hold the millefeuille together by placing a finger at either side of the blade. Place a piece of millefeuille to the side of each plate. Spoon a small pile of strawberry salad on the opposite side of the plate and serve.

BLACK AND WHITE MILLE-FEUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line an 18-by-13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Have another 18-by-13-inch baking sheet and piece of parchment on hand.
• Roll out the puff pastry to a 12-by-15-inch rectangle. Cut in three equal rectangles, about 12 by 5 inches each. Dock all over with a fork to suppress the puff pastry's rise in the oven. Transfer the pieces to the prepared baking sheet, cover with the other sheet of parchment and top with the second baking sheet. Bake until the flour structure has set and the pastry looks light golden and flaky, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the top baking sheet and piece of parchment and return to the oven until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes more. Cool completely on a baking rack.
• Meanwhile, combine the granulated sugar, salt, vanilla and 2 1/2 cups of the milk in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edges. While the milk is warming, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, eggs and remaining 1/2 cup milk in a large bowl.
• Temper the egg mixture with the hot milk mixture, adding a ladleful to the egg mixture at a time, whisking the whole time. Once you've added two-thirds of the milk mixture to the egg mixture, pour it back into the pan and cook on medium heat, whisking constantly. Once the mixture thickens and comes to boil, stir vigorously and count to 60. Remove from the heat.
• Pass the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then stir in the butter and Scotch. Cool over an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until the pastry cream reaches room temperature. Transfer the pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. (Or, if not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the surface of the pastry cream to keep a skin from forming.)
• Whip the cream in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or balloon whisk until medium-stiff peaks form. Put the whipped cream in a separate pastry bag with a medium round tip.
• Add the white chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon of the corn syrup to a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and heat until melted and smooth; stir to combine. Add the semisweet chocolate chips and remaining 1 tablespoon corn syrup to a separate metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. Heat until melted and smooth, then stir to combine.
• Trim the cooled puff pastry carefully with a serrated knife to produce three identical pieces. Lay down one piece of pastry on a serving plate and pipe a layer of pastry cream on top. Sprinkle with chocolate crumbs. Top with a second layer of pastry and pipe a layer of whipped cream on top. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Dip the top of the third layer of pastry in the melted semisweet chocolate, then spread with a knife to smooth the top. Top the whipped cream layer with the chocolate-covered pastry. Drizzle on some of the white chocolate with a spoon and create a swirled pattern with a wooden skewer if desired.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL MILLE FEUILLE

Steps:

• First prepare chocolate pastry cream.
• Set out a large bowl of ice water and a smaller bowl.
• In a stainless steel pot, bring the milk to a boil.
• Whisk together the yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a mixing bowl.
• Add a small quantity of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously.
• Continue adding milk, a little at a time, until fully incorporated.
• Boil the mixture, whisking constantly, for one to two minutes.
• Stir in the chocolate, then remove from heat and scrape the pastry cream into the smaller bowl.
• Place the small bowl into the ice water bath.
• Stir frequently to keep the cream smooth.
• Cool to 140 degrees.
• Remove the cream from the ice bath and stir in the butter, in three or four additions.
• Return the bowl to the ice bath and continue to stir occasionally until the cream is completely cool.
• Whip heavy cream until it holds medium peaks, then gently fold into the prepared pastry cream.
• Place the pastry cream into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
• Cut the puff pastry into 15 rectangular pieces.
• Place them on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
• Turn convection oven to 375 degrees.
• Dust the tops of the pastry rectangles with granulated sugar.
• Bake for eight to ten minutes.
• Turn pan around and bake for another eight to ten minutes.
• Remove pastry from oven, then gently invert pan onto another parchment-line sheet pan.
• Sift powdered sugar on the unbrowned side of the pastry.
• Bake for another five minutes, until the sugar is smooth, shiny and caramelized.
• Watch carefully during this phase so pastry does not burn.
• Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.
• Split pastries rectangles and pipe pastry cream onto bottom layer, then replace with the top.
• Dust plates with cocoa powder and serve.

STRAWBERRY MILLE FEUILLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 220C (425F).
• Roll out pastry to a thin rectangle and cut into 3 even sections.
• Place rectangles onto baking sheets and prick all over with a fork.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Cool on a wire rack.
• When cold trim the edges with a very sharp knife. Reserve the trimmings.
• Cut half of the strawberries in half and reserve for decorating the top.
• Slice the remaining strawberries.
• Whip the cream until stiff and stir through the sugar and vanilla. Fold in the sliced strawberries.
• Place a pastry slice on a serving plate and spread with half of the cream mixture. Lay another slice on top and spread with the remaining cream. Place the third slice on top.
• Put the redcurrant jelly and 2 Tblspn water in a small saucepan and heat gently until the jelly is liquid.
• Brush the top pastry slice with some of the jelly and arrange the halved strawberries on top. Brush with the remaining jelly.
• Crush the reserved pastry trimmings and press onto the sides of the slice with the blade of a knife.