Strawberry and Raspberry Millefeuilles

Week 27, Bake 27.

I have never really been a fan of Millefeuilles, I don't really see the point. To be honnest they seem fiddely, difficult to hold and generally really messy (and I am messy enough as it is!). But I needed an idea for this weeks bake as the origional idea I had, I decided that actually I will make that for my parents when I visit them over the summer. So I made Millefeuilles, as I thought I could make only a few as it is just me eating them.

My experience of baking them has not changed my view of them, I still don't see the point! They are fiddely, difficult to hold, worse to assemble and quite messy. The positive of this experience is that at least my puff pastry making has gotten much better.

Ingredients:

• 150g of plain flour
• 150g of butter, salted
• 1 teaspoon on lemon juice
• ice cold water
• flour for dusting
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• 150ml of double cream
• 125g of marscapone (I used a lower in fat version, otherwise these bakes will be the death of me!)
• 2 tablespoons of icing sugar
• 100g of caster sugar

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl sift the flour and add in the cold cubed butter.
2. Now, using your fingers rub the butter and flour together.
3. Bring this together into a ball by adding in the lemon juice and enough water to bring it into a slightly sticky ball, using a knife.
4. Chill in cling film in the fridge for 20 minutes.
5. Now, dust a surface with a good amount of flour and roll out the ball into a long triangle.
6. Fold the pastry into three and the turn it (to make your first turn) and roll it out again. Do this until you have two turns then pop it back in its cling film and rest it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
7. Continue this pattern, doing two turns at a time, until it has been turned 6 times.
8. Now rest it for a further 15 minutes.
9. Pre-heat the oven to 220c and roll out your pastry one final time. Try and make it into a square or retangle by cutting off any loose edges.
10. Then prick with a fork, sprinkle some sugar over the top and lay on a baking tray with greeseproof paper, then pop it in the oven.
11. Cook for 15 minutes.
12. Meanwhile make your sugar bowls. Do this by melting the caster sugar in a saucepan. DO NOT STIR IT. When the sugar starts to melt, turn the pan from side to side to allow the sugar to mingle.
13. Grease with olive oil the outside of a small bowl (I used a small pudding pot). Put this on greeseproof paper, so it doesn't get stuck down.
14. Once the sugar is melted, allow to cool slightly and then using a spoon twizzle the sugar around the bowl making a criss cross pattern.
15. Leave it to one side to set.
16. Remove the puff pastry from the oven and carefully transfer it to a cooling rack.
17. Whilst this is cooling make the cream mixture. Whip the double cream until it forms soft peeks.
18. Now add in the marsapone and one tablespoon of the icing sugar, then beat until it forms stiff enough peeks to pipe.
19. Slice the strawberries so that you can layer them in the Millefeuille.
20. Once the puff pastry is cool, you can start to assemble.
21. Carefully slice the puff pastry, I made cut mine to 10cm by 5cm and for each Millefeuille you will make, you must cut 3 rectangles.
22. Now, place the first rectangle on your plate. Pipe a layer of the cream mixture onto the pastry, them assemble your strawberries.
23. Next, pipe another layer then pop on the next puff pastry triangle very carefully.
24. Pipe some more cream then place on your raspberries, fill in any gaps on the layer with cream then carefully place on your final layer.
25. Finally dust the top with the remaining icing sugar.
26. Now carefully remove the sugar bowl and place it next to the Millefeuille, pipe some cream in the centre then place any remaining strawberries and raspberries in the bowl.

And your done! A very fiddely bake and if you are slightly dyspraxic like I am a nightmare of a bake! However they are rather tasty so all the stress does just disappar when you eat them!