Ingredients
Directions
Mille-feuille/Napoleon is one of the France's most famous pastry. It is traditionally made with classic or inverted puff pastry. However, and for some recipes, the use of filo dough offers great results. It saves time, it is moisture resistant allowing the pastry to remain crispy while stored in the refrigerator.
Any baking pan can be used for this recipe except silicone molds. You would need 2 fluted brioche a tête molds (6.5''X3''/16.5X7.5 cm) to make this strawberry mille-feuille basket though.
Since the filling is going to be held in a pastry shell, the gelatin remains optional. Soak gelatin in cold water to soften and drain. Partially microwave white chocolate in a narrow container. Infuse vanilla in the hot heavy cream and pour in the chocolate. Mix with an immersion blender. Add the softened gelatin and then the remaining cold heavy cream. Blend well and refrigerate overnight.
Bring butter to room temperature and grease mold generously and coat it with raw sugar. Melt remaining butter for the filo dough. Lay the first filo sheet onto the work surface. Brush out melted butter – repeat this process 6 or 7 more times.
For the handle: cut out two 1.5''/4.8 cm strips, and stick them together with more fat. Cut into one 14''/35 cm strip. Wrap it around an oven proof round device that matches the width of the mold; reserve.
For the basket, square off the filo-puff pastry and drape over the prepared mold. Gently, apply dough inside the curves of the mold and trim off excess dough. Place the second mold inside and slightly press down. Scraps can be saved and baked for later use.
Preheat oven to 375ºF/190ºC with a pizza stone (it helps to caramelize the sugar but it remains optional though).
Bake pastry for 15 minutes straight over the pizza stone if so. Otherwise, use a baking tray. Remove the inside mold and add the almond cream. Lower oven temperature to 350ºF/180ºC and put crust back in the oven for 30 minutes more until golden brown. Let cool.
Give a quick wash to the strawberries, pat dry and cut into pieces except the ones for the topping. Combine strawberries with the raspberry jam; set aside. Whip chilled chantilly to soft peaks. Add strawberry mixture inside the baked crust (save the bowl for the topping). Pipe out a layer of chantilly using a large plain pastry tip and tuck in more strawberries. Decorate the cake with more chantilly but only to cover the edges. Coat strawberries with more jam if desired and fill up the center of the cake with. With a scissors, cut off the ends of the handle if needed and insert it in the cake. Decorate the strawberry mille-feuille basket with mint or edible flowers... Add Easter eggs if desired and enjoy!
2 thoughts on “Mille-Feuille Basket”
Bonjour Chef
Je me presente Soleiade , j ai fait se panier gourmand , c’est une tuerie !!! en plus de sa joli présentation qui a fait un bel effet sur ma table !
je vous remercie grandement Chef pour cette magnifique recette
Bravo!