Classic French Pastry: Mille Feuille

Puff Pastry

1. In a large mixing bowl, add sugar and cornstarch. Whisk so that the two ingredients are well combined.
2. Add egg yolks and whisk until you get a fluffy mixture.
3. Heat milk in a saucepan and set it aside.
4. Add about 2 tablespoons of hot milk and continue to whisk. Slowly pour the remaining hot milk and continue to whisk.
5. Add vanilla extracts and whisk some more.
6. Strain the mixture into a saucepan and place it on medium heat. Continue to whisk until the mixture starts to simmer and gets thick.
7. Remove the pan off the heat and add butter. Mix so that the butter melts and is well incorporated. Let the mixture cool down a bit.
8. Transfer it to a bowl, wrap with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator until it is chilled.
9. Thaw the puff pastry, unfold the sheet, and place it on a floured surface.
10. Use a sharp knife. Cut the pastry sheet into 2 by 4-inch rectangles.
11. Place the rectangles on a parchment-lined baking tray at least 2 inches apart from each other. Place another parchment sheet on top of the rectangles and place the baking tray in a preheated oven at 400 °F for about 10 minutes.
12. Once done, take the baking tray out of the oven and transfer the rectangles onto a cooling rack.

Icing

1. Prepare the icing by whisking the 1 ½ cups of confectioner's sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract in a bowl until it has a thin consistency.
2. Pour half of this mixture into a separate bowl and add cocoa powder. Add a dash of milk is necessary and whisk until everything is well incorporated and you get a smooth consistency.
3. Transfer the white and chocolate icing into separate piping bags with round or star tips.
4. Add heavy cream and 1 ½ tbsp powdered sugar in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks are formed, and you get whipped cream. Pipe it into a plastic piping bag.
5. Take the cream out of the refrigerator and whisk it until it is smooth. Pipe it into a piping bag as well.

Assemble

1. Assemble the dessert by placing four puff pastry rectangles in front of you on a cooling rack. Create patterns of the rectangle using white and chocolate icing. You can create a marble effect or a zig-zag pattern using a toothpick. Feel free to use your imagination.
2. Pipe the pastry cream between the six layers of puff pastry. You can adjust the number according to your liking. Place another piece of puff pastry on top of it and pipe dollops of whipped cream on it. Place the decorated puff pastry rectangle on top. Repeat this process until you get four pastries.
3. You can garnish it with mini chocolate chips and enjoy!