Mille-feuille/Napoleon - Custard Slice

Something I have always wanted to make was Mille - feuille slices, but like lot of bakes I want to do just sits there in my mind wanting me to make them, but lazy etc...
So when I saw this month Daring bakers challengs I was really excited as I have not been doing the last two challenge and I didn't want to miss it again.
But days passed by and I was like Ok, I will miss this one too because of my same excuses of beeing lazy, nobody to eat and even if I make them it is difficult to transfer them to my inlaws place to share with them etc...
But as you can see I did make them and we here at home loved it.
I am used to make the puff pastry ( only when I made some sweet bread but then tha tis with yeast) but the technic stays almost the same so I knew that I woulb be able to handle it.
I didn't want to make rectangle ones as If i make long ones I know when I slice them I will make them look messy that says a lot about my knife skills.
So I cut the pastry into small circles and baked them.
As one don't want the puff pastry to rise as always one puts a heavy metal tray on top, but I forgot to remove them after a while and only thought aobut it it the last moment so as you can see mine didn't rise at all .
Another changeI did was I used Michel Roux Cream pattiserie recipe as that is the one I mostly make and I thought I will stick to the same recipe.
I also didn't want the traditional sugar icing on top, so I melted a bit of white chocolate, added some color and tried to give it a India look :-)

October 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Suz of Serenely Full. Suz challenged us to not only tackle buttery and flaky puff pastry, but then take it step further and create a sinfully delicious Mille Feuille dessert with it!

Pâte feuilletée /Puff Pastry

Servings: Makes 8-10 mille-feuille (yields: 675g pastry)

Ingredients
 1¾ cup (250g) plain/all-purpose flour
 Scant ¼ cup (55 ml) (1¾ oz)(50g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
 1 teaspoon (5ml) (6 gm) salt
 ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (5/8 cup)(150 ml) cold water

14 tablespoons (210 ml) (7 oz) (200g) butter (for the beurrage), room temperature
 3½ tablespoons (55ml) (30g) plain flour (for the beurrage)

Additional flour for rolling/turning

Directions:

1. Cut the larger quantity of butter into smallish pieces and set aside at room temperature.
 2. Put the larger quantity of flour into a bowl with the salt and the cold, cubed butter.
 3. Lightly rub the butter and flour between your fingertips until it forms a mealy breadcrumb texture.
4. Add the cold water and bring together with a fork or spoon until the mixture starts to cohere and come away from the sides of the bowl.
 5. As the dough begins to come together, you can use your hands to start kneading and incorporating all the remaining loose bits. If the dough’s a little dry, you can add a touch more water.
 6. Knead for three minutes on a floured surface until the dough is smooth.
 7. Wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
8. While the dough is chilling, take your room temperature butter and mix with the smaller amount of plain flour until it forms a paste.
 9. Place the butter paste between two sheets of clingfilm, and either with a rolling pin or your hands (I found hands easiest) shape it into a 4.5”/12cm square. You can use a ruler (or similar) to neaten the edges.
10. Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes so the butter firms up slightly. If it’s still soft, leave it a bit longer. If it’s too hard and inflexible, leave it out to soften a touch. You want it to be solid but still malleable.
 11. Once the dough has chilled, roll it out on a floured surface into a 6”/15cm square. Place the square of butter in the middle, with each corner touching the centre of the square’s sides (see photo below).
 12. Fold each corner of dough over the butter so they meet the centre (you might have to stretch them a little) and it resembles an envelope, and seal up the edges with your fingers. You’ll be left with a little square parcel.
13. Turn the dough parcel over and tap the length of it with your rolling pan to flatten it slightly.
 14. Keeping the work surface well floured, roll the dough carefully into a rectangle ¼ inch /6 mm in thickness.
 15. With the longest side facing you, fold one third (on the right) inwards, so it’s covering the middle section, and ensure that it is lined up
16. Then, fold the remaining flap of dough (on the left) inwards, so you’re left with a narrow three-layered strip17. Repeat steps 14, 15, 16.
 18. Wrap up in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.
 19. Repeat steps 14, 15, 16 twice.
 20. Wrap up in clingfilm and chill again for at least 30 minutes.
 21. Repeat steps 14, 15, 16 two final times.
 22. Wrap up in clingfilm and refrigerate until needed. The dough keeps a couple of days in the fridge.

Mille-Feuille/ Napoleon/ Custard Slice

Servings: Makes 8- 10

Ingredients
 1 x batch pâte feuilletée/puff pastry (see above)
 1 x batch crème pâtissière/pastry cream (see above)

2 ¾ cups (660 ml) (12⅓oz) (350gm) icing sugar
 2 teaspoons (10 ml) lemon juice
 2 large egg whites
 ½ cup (2¾ oz) (80gm) dark chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to moderately hot 200 °C /400°F/gas mark 6.
 2. Lightly dust your work space with flour and remove your dough from the fridge.
 3. Roll into a large rectangle, the thickness of cardboard. The recipe I followed specified no other dimensions, but I rolled mine to about 12”/30cm x 18”/46cm.

(I found it easiest to start the rolling on the work surface, and finish it off on a large piece of greaseproof paper. That way it’s easier to move the sheets of pastry around.)

4. Cut into three equal pieces and place on a baking tray. If you don’t have space for all three, you can bake them separately.
5. Prick the pastry sheets all over with a fork.
 6. Place another sheet of greaseproof paper over the top and then a heavy baking tray. This will prevent the layers from puffing up too much.

(N.B. I found my baking trays weren’t heavy enough, so also used a pyrex dish to add more weight. Just ensure that the pastry sheets are evenly weighted down.)
7. Bake each sheet for about 25 minutes in a moderately hot oven 200 °C /400°F/gas mark 6, removing the top layer of greaseproof paper/tray 10 minutes before the end for the tops to brown. Keep an eye on them and lower the temperature if you think they’re browning too much.
 8. Remove the baked sheets from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool.
9. Once the pastry has cooled, you’re ready to assemble your mille-feuille. Get a sturdy flat board, your pastry and the chilled crème pâtissière from the fridge.
 10. Lay one sheet on the board and spread half the crème patisserie evenly over the top.
 11. Take the second sheet and place it on top, pressing down lightly with your hands to ensure that it sticks to the filling.
 12. Spread the remaining crème pâtissière and place the last sheet of pastry on top, pressing down again. (Don’t worry if there’s some oozing at the sides. That can be neatened later.)
13. Pop in the fridge while you prepare the icing / chocolate.
 14. Melt the chocolate in a bain marie, stirring periodically. Once melted, transfer to a piping bag (or plastic bag with end snipped), resting nozzle side down in a glass or other tall container.
15. To make the icing, whisk 2 egg whites with 2 teaspoons lemon juice until lightly frothy.
 16. Whisk in about (2 cups) 300gm of the icing sugar on a low setting until smooth and combined. The mixture should be thick enough to leave trails on the surface. If it’s too thin, whisk in a bit more icing sugar

.19. STILL working quickly (phew), take a sharp knife and lightly draw it down (from top to bottom) through the rows of chocolate. A centimeter (½ inch) or so further across, draw the knife up the way this time, from bottom to top. Move along, draw it down again. Then up. And so on, moving along the rows of chocolate until the top is covered in a pretty swirly pattern.