Recipe for Millefoglie (Mille-Feuille) Pastry With Zabaglione Filling (2024)

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By

Kyle Phillips

Kyle Phillips

Food, wine, and travel writer Kyle Phillips lived in Tuscany and developed his passion and expertise for food and cooking through travel.

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Updated on 01/2/23

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Recipe for Millefoglie (Mille-Feuille) Pastry With Zabaglione Filling (1)

Prep: 80 mins

Cook: 25 mins

Total: 105 mins

Servings: 10to 12 servings

Yield: 1 cake

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Millefoglie (mille-feuille in French) translates as "one thousand layers," and it's one of the most delicate and elegant pastries: light, flaky puff pastry layered with rich zabaglione cream, mascarpone, whipped cream, or chocolate cream, or a combination thereof. This recipe uses a zabaglione, made with egg yolks and Marsala wine, mixed with whipped cream, for a billowy, decadentfilling. The exterior is decorated with a mixture of toasted chopped almonds and crushed Savoiardi biscuits, for a delightful contrast to the creamy filling.

Though it originates in France, it's become popular throughout Italy and is a fixture in Italian coffee bars and pastry shops.

It makes an impressive ending for a dinner party or a beautiful birthday cake,though (if made with store-bought puff pastry) it's not actually difficult to make!

[Edited by Danette St. Onge]

Ingredients

  • 1 sheet puff pastry dough, frozen and thawed according to package instructions

  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

For the Fillingand Almond-Biscuit Crumble:

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Begin by preheating your oven to about 460 F / 230 C.

  3. Cut the puff pastry into three equally sized pieces, and roll them out to somewhat less than 1/3-inch thick—the sheets can be round or square, as you prefer.

  4. Since the sheets will shrink (widthwise) as they cook, roll them out somewhat larger than you want the finished cake to be. They'll shrink less if you let them rest for 30 minutes before baking.

  5. Once you've rolled out the first piece, bake it for 20 minutes in the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  6. Meanwhile, roll out the second piece, then bake it the same way while you roll out the third piece.

  7. While the last piece of pastry is baking, start preparing the zabaglione:Mince the almonds and lightly toast them in a skillet over low heat. Put the yolks in a small saucepan, preferably of untinned copper, stir in the granulated sugar, and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture is almost white.

  8. Next, stir in the Marsala, a little bit at a time. Set the saucepan over a very low flame or on top of a double boiler and stir gently until the cream has thickened, then pour it into a clean bowl and let it cool, stirring occasionally.

  9. When all three pieces of baked puff pastry have cooled to room temperature, dust one of them lightly with confectioners' sugar (it will be the top piece).

  10. Crush the Savoiardi and combine them with the minced, toasted almonds.

Assemble the Millefoglie

  1. Only assemble just before serving, so that the pastry will remain crisp.

  2. Pour the chilled cream into a bowl and whip it to firm snowy peaks, then gently fold it into the cooled zabaglione.

  3. Place the first sheet of puff pastry on the serving platter or tray.

  4. Spread 1/3 third of the zabaglione-cream filling over it, lay the second sheet of pastry on top, and spread half the remaining filling over it. Cover with the third piece of puff pastry (the one dusted with confectioners' sugar).

  5. Use a spatula to spread the remaining filling over the sides of the cake, then dust the sides with the almond-Savoiardi mixture so as to cover the cream. Remove any stray crumbs from the serving plate and set the cake in a cool place until serving time.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly cooked eggs poses a risk of foodborne illness.


Note: The cream suggested can be substituted by whatever custard you refer, or even simple whipped cream, layered with fresh berries. Feel free to add fresh fruit, marmalade, jam, or Nutella between the layers of cream as well. You can also slice the millefoglie into 1- by 2.5-inch slices with a very sharp knife, and serve them individually.

Chocolate Pots de Crème

  • Italian Desserts
  • Desserts
  • Pastries
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
247Calories
17g Fat
19g Carbs
5g Protein

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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10to 12
Amount per serving
Calories247
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g22%
Saturated Fat 7g37%
Cholesterol 110mg37%
Sodium 125mg5%
Total Carbohydrate 19g7%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg1%
Calcium 54mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
Potassium 122mg3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • Pastry
  • dessert
  • italian
  • birthdays

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Recipe for Millefoglie (Mille-Feuille) Pastry With Zabaglione Filling (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between mille-feuille and millefoglie? ›

Mille-feuille has different names in different regions, as well as different variations in the recipes and ingredients. In Italy – Mille-feuille is called mille foglie and is not much different than the classic recipe. The main addition in Italian recipes is a layer of sponge cake as well as cream and puff pastry.

What pastry is mille-feuille made from? ›

Composition. Traditionally, a mille-feuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry and two layers of crème pâtissière. The top layer is coated with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. In later variations, the top is glazed with icing, in alternating white (icing) and brown (chocolate) strips, and then combed.

What is the difference between a Napoleon dessert and a mille-feuille? ›

Apparently, there's very little difference. In France, a Napoleon will almost always have almond cream, while milles feuilles can be filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, or jam. The name Napoleon is not derived from the famous emperor, as might be assumed, but from Napolitain, for the city of Naples.

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