French Flag Mille-Feuilles – Bake from Scratch

For filling: In a big saucepan, warmth milk and ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar over medium warmth, whisking continuously, till sugar dissolves and combination is steaming. (Don’t boil.)

In a big bowl, whisk collectively egg yolks, cornstarch, salt, and remaining ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar. Progressively add heat milk combination, whisking always. Pour egg yolk combination into pan; prepare dinner over medium warmth, whisking always, till thickened and bubbly, 4 to five minutes.

Pressure combination by a fine-mesh sieve right into a medium heatproof bowl. Whisk in 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter and vanilla bean paste or extract till butter is melted and combination is easy and effectively mixed. Cowl with plastic wrap, urgent wrap instantly onto floor of pastry cream to forestall a pores and skin from forming. Refrigerate till an instant-read thermometer registers 65°F (18°C) to 70°F (21°C), 2½ to three hours.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Reserve 2 extra baking sheets and a couple of extra sheets of parchment paper.

On a evenly floured floor, roll Tough Puff Pastry Dough right into a 25×13-inch rectangle (about ⅛ inch thick). Utilizing a pastry wheel, trim ½ inch off all sides of rectangle. Lower dough into 36 (4×2-inch) rectangles; place rectangles at the very least 1 inch aside on ready pans. Place a sheet of parchment paper on high of dough rectangles; high parchment with one other baking sheet.

Bake for quarter-hour. Fastidiously take away high pans and parchment, and bake till deep golden brown, 3 to five minutes extra. Let cool fully on pans on wire racks.

Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat remaining ½ cup (113 grams) butter at medium velocity till easy, about1 minute, stopping to scrape backside and sides of bowl.

Whisk chilly pastry cream till easy. With mixer on medium velocity, step by step add pastry cream to butter, beating till mixed after every addition and stopping to scrape backside and sides of bowl and paddle.

Switch filling to a pastry bag fitted with a ¼-inch spherical piping tip (Ateco #802). Place 12 items of pastry on a baking sheet, and pipe 2 rows of huge dots of filling on high of every pastry. Prime every with one other piece of pastry. Pipe 2 rows of dots of filling on high of every pastry. Unfold a skinny layer of filling on high of remaining pastry items; place on high of layered pastries.

For topping: In a big bowl, whisk collectively chilly cream, sugar, and vanilla bean paste or extract till stiff peaks type. Switch to a pastry bag fitted with a small petal piping tip (Ateco #102.)

Place 2 rows of blueberries on left facet of every pastry and 1 row of strawberries on proper facet. Pipe whipped cream combination between blueberries and strawberries. Refrigerate till able to serve. Finest served similar day as assembled.

Freeze chilly butter till agency, 15 to twenty minutes.

Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat chilly butter, flour, and salt at low velocity simply till butter is coated with flour. With mixer on low velocity, add ½ cup (120 grams) ice water in a sluggish, regular stream, beating simply till dough comes collectively, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape backside and sides of bowl and switch dough to hydrate evenly. (There’ll nonetheless be giant items of butter; it’s OK if a number of dry bits stay.)

End up dough onto a evenly floured floor, and roll right into a 7-inch sq.. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

On a evenly floured floor, roll dough into an 18×10-inch rectangle, evenly flouring floor and high of dough as wanted. Fold dough in thirds like a letter. Rotate dough 90 levels; roll into an 18×10-inch rectangle, and fold in thirds like a letter. Repeat process for a 3rd and closing flip. (If, at any level, the butter is just too comfortable after a fold, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze till butter is agency once more, checking each 5 minutes.) Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at the very least 1 hour or as much as 8 hours.