The key component to the Mille-Feuille is Crème Patisserie, which is also known as pastry cream. Crème Patisserie is made from five simple ingredients: eggs, corn flour, milk, sugar and vanilla.
It’s one of the richest and creamiest products around lending itself to being a perfect filling for both pastry and sponge based desserts; none more so than the Mille-Feuille. In this particular dessert the crème patisserie is sandwiched between two layers of puff pastry; creating a smooth, delicate texture to contrast the light and crispy qualities of the pastry.
In our latest instalment Xavier demonstrates how to create the filling for the Mille-Feuille and gives you a couple of great tips along the way.
To go alongside the video here are our top five tips to make a French classic – Crème Patisserie:
- Don’t burn the milk – It’s all about controlling the temperature of the pan. Don’t put the heat too high.
- Mix the eggs, sugar and cornflour until it’s nice and smooth
- Just like custard cook it slowly on a medium heat to ensure the mix doesn’t overcook.
- Stir constantly – The last thing you want is it to burn on the bottom.
- Put butter over the top once in clean container before placing in the fridge to prevent a skin forming (see video)