Surprise! This Classic French Dessert Is Actually Better When Made at Home

To understand how I became the dessert enthusiast I am today, you’d have to meet my mother, who is always in the mood for something sweet. Throughout my childhood, she made it a mission to introduce my sisters and me to whatever confection she felt like eating on a given day. She brought home boxes of tender madeleines, airy cream puffs, and slices of Opera cake, among many other delicious sweets. My favorite, however, was (and remains) mille-feuille, the classic French dessert that typically consists of three layers of crisp, delicate puff pastry stacked with vanilla pastry cream and is topped with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. I loved the cake so much that, for my birthday each year, my mom skipped the standard yellow cake with chocolate frosting and got me a large mille-feuille instead. I’m not sure when this family tradition started, but to this day, it’s still my special occasion dessert of choice. 

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find a truly great mille-feuille with shatteringly crisp pastry and velvety pastry cream, even in New York City. The truth is that the dessert does not store well—even if a skilled chef makes and serves it, it doesn’t hold up for long, and more often than not, the cake is soft by the time it’s made its way to a customer. Which is why I’ve taken to making my own at home: It seems to be the only way I can guarantee that the mille-feuille I’m eating will be crisp and fresh, with no soggy bottoms in sight. Though mille-feuille may look challenging to prepare, it’s much easier when you break the pastry down into its two main components: the puff pastry and the pastry cream. Here’s how to make a stellar one at home.

Getting the Pastry Right for Mille-Feuille

“Mille-feuille” means a thousand leaves, and refers to the ultra-thin sheets of pastry that are created when you prepare puff pastry. The process involves layering butter and dough together, then folding and rolling it over several times to “laminate” the dough. As the dough bakes, the butter melts, creating pockets of steam that lift the pastry and create its signature layers.

You could certainly make your own puff pastry from scratch, but I recommend saving yourself the time here by buying store-bought dough instead. Since this dessert contains little more than puff pastry and pastry cream, it’s worth looking for a good-quality dough that’s made with butter (like Dufour Classic Puff Pastry), which will be much more flavorful than pastry that’s made with palm, soybean, and/or vegetable oil.

Beyond purchasing the right kind of pastry, it’s also essential to bake it properly. For mille-feuille, we want pastry that’s crisp, flaky, and light, but also sturdy enough to carry the weight of the pastry cream. We also want flat, consistent layers of puff pastry, which can be difficult because the dough is meant to, well, puff. The solution is to dock the dough all over with a fork, then sandwich it between two rimmed baking sheets. Because my puff pastry still tended to rise even with the docking and the sandwiching, I recommend weighing down the top baking sheet with two pounds of dried beans, which help keep the dough as flat as possible.

For the Best Filling, Make a Proper Pastry Cream

I want to be clear: I am all for shortcuts that deliver a great result with significantly less effort. That's why I just recommended you buy the puff pastry. I will not be making the same recommendation for the pastry cream. There is a time and place for custard mix or powder, and now is not that time. Once again, because this dessert is, at its core, so simple and consists of just puff pastry and pastry cream, you want both components to be the very best, and you simply can't achieve that with boxed custard.

The key to making a great pastry cream is to cook it adequately by allowing it to bubble for a full minute—not doing so out of fear of scrambling the eggs is probably one of the biggest pastry cream mistakes people make. This minute of cooking not only thickens the custard by gelatinizing the cornstarch, but it also deactivates amylase, a powerful enzyme in the egg yolks that can break down starch molecules and turn your pastry cream into an unappetizing puddle after it sits.

As for scrambling the eggs, have no fear: The milk dilutes the egg proteins, making it more difficult for them to bond to each other as you whisk your pastry cream on the stove. That doesn't mean the eggs can't scramble, but with gentle heat and constant whisking around the entire pot, it shouldn't happen. Lastly, I recommend using a real vanilla bean or vanilla paste here if possible, as its flavor is much more robust than extract, but if vanilla extract is all you have, that will be fine.

How to Slice Mille-Feuille

Alternating layers of crackly-crisp pastry and soft and spreadable pastry cream can present a problem when it comes time to slice it, and while a smushed and crushed plate of what used to be mille-feuille will still be delicious, a lot of its visual impact will be lost. Let's avoid that!

Calm confidence is the secret to neatly portioning an entire slab of mille-feuille. Your best bet is to use a serrated knife, as its many teeth will make easy work of sawing through the many layers of puff pastry without compressing them down into the pastry cream below and triggering a full-blown structural collapse. Make sure to slide the serrated knife back and forth where you want to cut while using your free hand to stabilize the pastry; it's important not to press down hard onto the pastry as you slice, or you risk squishing it. Once you've made your way through to the bottom, gently but firmly press the knife down to separate the bottom layer of puff pastry from the rest of the cake. For the cleanest cuts, dip your knife in hot water and wipe it dry between each portioning each slice.

There will be a delicious reward for you at the end of all that slicing: a piece of celebration-worthy mille-feuille. (Worth noting: It will also be excellent if you have nothing to celebrate.)

For the Pastry Cream: In a 6-quart pot, combine milk and scraped vanilla bean along with its seeds. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, cover to prevent evaporation, and let steep for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, set up an ice bath by partially filling it with a combination of cold water and ice. Set aside.

In a medium heatproof mixing bowl set on top of a dampened towel (this serves as a stable base), stir together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk in egg yolks until mixture is pale yellow, smooth, and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Uncover infused milk and remove vanilla bean. While whisking continuously, slowly pour milk into egg yolk mixture in a thin stream, until all of it has been added.

Return mixture to the same pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until pastry cream begins to thicken, about 7 minutes. Once it thickens, continue to whisk, pausing every few seconds to check for bubbles, about 1 minute. Once bubbling, continue whisking for 1 minute.

Off-heat, whisk in butter until melted and thoroughly combined. Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain pastry cream into a large heatproof bowl. Immediately place plastic wrap directly on surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Transfer bowl to prepared ice bath to chill for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.

For the Puff Pastry: Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400ºF (205ºC). Line three 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment; set aside. On a lightly floured surface, roll one 14-ounce sheet of puff pastry into a rough 13- by 18-inch rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. Gently roll dough onto rolling pin and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. Using a fork, prick pastry all over. Lightly cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Repeat with remaining puff pastry.

Remove plastic wrap from puff pastry and cover dough with a sheet of parchment paper. Top with another 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Set a piece of parchment paper inside the rimmed baking sheet on top and cover evenly with 2 pounds dried beans. Bake until pastry begins to rise, about 15 minutes; open oven and, using oven mitts, press down on baking sheets to deflate puff pastry if necessary. Bake for another 10 minutes. Using oven mitts, carefully remove top baking sheet; set aside. Return puff pastry to oven and continue baking until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove pastry from oven, set aside to cool completely, and repeat with remaining puff pastry.

To Assemble: Using a serrated knife, trim each layer of puff pastry to a 10- by 12- inch rectangle. Place one sheet of puff pastry onto a large cutting board. Remove chilled pastry cream from fridge and whisk until smooth. Fit a piping bag with desired tip, and using a flexible spatula, scrape pastry cream into piping bag.

Hold the piping bag perpendicular to the puff pastry, with the piping tip 1/4- to 1/2-inch above its surface. Apply steady pressure and slowly pipe a small dollop of pastry cream onto puff pastry. Release your grip, then slowly lift piping bag to create a dollop shaped like a Hershey kiss; repeat until puff pastry is evenly covered with pastry cream. (Alternatively, use an offset spatula to evenly spread a 1/2-inch layer of pastry cream across puff pastry.)

Gently place second sheet of puff pastry on top of pastry cream dollops. Repeat piping on top of second layer, then top with third sheet of puff pastry, gently pressing to adhere, making sure pastry cream doesn’t ooze out the sides. Refrigerate until pastry cream firms up slightly, at least 1 hour or up to 12.

To Serve: Using a fine-mesh strainer, dust confectioners sugar over surface of pastry. Using a serrated knife, slice cake into 12 pieces and serve. (For cleaner cuts, run knife under warm water and dry knife with a clean kitchen towel before portioning each slice.)

Special Equipment

Fine-mesh strainer, two 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet, serrated knife, piping bag, piping tip

Notes

Cut vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using tip of paring knife, scrape out seeds. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla paste can be substituted for the vanilla bean.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Pastry cream can be made up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Mille-feuille can be assembled, lightly wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated up to 12 hours in advance; the pastry may soften as it sits.