4 sheets filo pastry
powdered sugar
CREME PATISSIERE:
4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 1/4 cups milk
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon whipping cream,
plus 1 teaspoon (additional) whipping cream
TO SERVE:
strawberry fan, below |
Preheat oven to 400F (200C).
Fold each sheet of pastry twice to give 4 layers.
Cut three, 3 inch circles through
the layers, to give 48 circles.
Put circles on baking sheets and bake in the oven for 2 minutes,
until golden and
crisp.
Leave to cool.
To make creme patissiere,
in a bowl, beat together egg yolks, sugar,
flour and little of
the milk.
In a saucepan, heat remaining milk
and coffee granules until almost boiling.
Pour onto egg yolk mixture,
stirring.
Return to pan and cook gently for 2 - 3 minutes.
Cover and leave
to cool.
In a bowl, whip cream until thick;
stir into custard.
In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites until soft
peaks form;
fold into custard.
To assemble each mille-feuille,
put 2 pastry rounds on top of each other on
a serving dish.
Carefully spread with creme patissiere.
Repeat layers twice more.
Put 2 more pastry rounds
on top and dust thickly with icing sugar.
Put on top of creme patissiere.
You should have 6 mille-feuilles,
each composed of 4 double layers of pastry
and 3 layers of creme patissiere.
With a very hot skewer, mark lines on
icing sugar.
Serve immediately, decorated with strawberry fans.
To make strawberry fans,
slice strawberries almost
through to stalk end, then fan out.
Serves 6.
Serve immediately to avoid crust softening!
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