A traditional millefeuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry sandwiching two layers of creme patissiere, with a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top.
Shop-bought puff pastry is fine to use but making your own with good-quality butter will always produce a tastier outcome. Some millefeuille are made with thinner sheets of puff pastry and tend to be a little firmer in texture, but thicker slices - which I prefer - allow the pastry to rise more and give a flakier finish.
Millefeuille of poached pear, vanilla cream and caramel sauce
Serves 4
Poached pears
600g caster sugar
Zest from half an orange
1 litre water
4 fresh Williams pears
Put the sugar, orange zest and water in a deep pan and bring to the boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, peel the pears and add them to the sugar syrup, making sure they are submerged. Cook the pears for 5-10 minutes depending on ripeness. When the pears are done you should be able to pass a knife through the centre with ease. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool.
Caramel sauce
250g caster sugar
50ml water
20g butter
125ml cream
1 egg yolk, beaten
Heat the sugar and water in a pan until the sugar turns gold then add the butter and cream and bring to the boil. Simmer for 3 minutes to dissolve the caramel then strain through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the beaten egg yolk while the sauce is hot.
Puff pastry
Plain flour, for dusting
200g puff pastry
2tbsp icing sugar
Set the oven to 210C/gas mark 6.5.
Dust the work surface with a little plain flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry until it's 5mm thick. Using a large sharp chopping knife and a ruler, cut out 12 rectangles measuring 5cm x 10cm each. Arrange the rectangles on a baking tray, leaving a small space between each one. Place the icing sugar in a fine sieve and lightly dust the pastry, then bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes. When done, place the cooked pastry on a wire rack to cool down.
Vanilla cream
200ml double cream
25g icing sugar
1 vanilla pod
Halve the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds out into a small bowl. Sift the icing sugar into the bowl, add the cream and whisk until the cream stands in soft peaks when you lift up the whisk.
Final preparation and serving
Transfer the vanilla cream to a clean piping bag fitted with a plain or star nozzle.
Cut each pear lengthways into quarters. Remove the core and stem then cut each quarter into three.
To assemble, lay out four rectangles of cooked puff pastry, pipe an even amount of vanilla cream on top then place three pieces of pear on the cream. Repeat the process then place one rectangle on top of another, giving four portions. Finish with a rectangle of pastry on top of each portion. Dust with icing sugar.
Place the millefeuille on a plate. Spoon the caramel sauce over the top and serve on its own or with any leftover pieces of poached pear.
WINE MATCH
A fragrant dessert wine with apple, pear, quince, hazelnut and a hint of lavender honeycomb, plus a finish that seems to last an eternity.
2008 Vinferno, Bonny Doon, Beeswax Vineyard, US (WoodWinters, £25)
The Honours, 58a North Castle Street, Edinburgh. Visit thehonours.co.uk or call 0131 220 2513.
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