Mille-Feuille (Napoleon) Recipe

Mille-Feuille (Napoleon) Recipe

**Ingredients:**

– **For the Puff Pastry:**
– 1 package of frozen puff pastry (or homemade puff pastry), thawed

– **For the Pastry Cream:**
– 2 cups whole milk
– 1 vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)
– 1/2 cup granulated sugar
– 5 large egg yolks
– 3 tablespoons cornstarch
– 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

– **For the Icing:**
– 1 cup powdered sugar
– 2-3 tablespoons milk
– 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 2 ounces dark chocolate, melted (for decoration)

**Instructions:**

1. **Prepare the Puff Pastry:**
– Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
– Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Cut it into 3 equal-sized rectangles.
– Place the pastry rectangles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Prick them all over with a fork to prevent them from puffing up too much.
– Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and weigh it down with another baking sheet to keep the pastry flat.
– Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

2. **Make the Pastry Cream:**
– In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and the vanilla bean (split and seeds scraped) until it just begins to simmer. Remove from heat and let it steep for 10 minutes. If using vanilla extract, add it later.
– In a bowl, whisk