Mille-feuille

The "thousand leaves" pastry showcases lamination perfection with precise assembly.

Traditional Napoleon

Yield: 8 servings Active time: 1 hour Total time: 4 hours

#### Ingredients

- 450g puff pastry (homemade or quality store-bought) - Double batch pastry cream - 200g powdered sugar - 50g dark chocolate, melted

#### Instructions

1. Prepare pastry: Roll puff pastry to 3mm thick. Cut into three equal rectangles. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets. Prick all over with fork. Place parchment on top, then another baking sheet (prevents puffing).

2. Bake: At 200°C (400°F) for 15 minutes. Remove top sheet and parchment, bake 5-10 minutes more until deep golden. Cool on racks.

3. Trim: Using serrated knife, trim each rectangle to same size. Save crumbs for decoration.

4. Assemble: Place one pastry rectangle on serving plate. Spread half the pastry cream evenly. Add second layer, remaining cream, then top layer.

5. Decorate: Sift powdered sugar over top. Using piping bag, pipe thin chocolate lines lengthwise. Draw toothpick perpendicular to create feathered pattern.

6. Chill: Refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Cut with sharp serrated knife.

Simplified Home Version: - Bake puff pastry in one sheet, cut after baking - Use stabilized whipped cream instead of pastry cream - Individual portions easier than large format

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