Recipe: Friday Cook with Jessica Nguyen
Follow Jessica Nguyenas she guides us through one of her favourite French dessert recipes in the comfort of her home.
On the menu: Berry & Citrus Mille Feuille complimented by Lillet & Gin cocktails.
“Berry & Citrus Mille Feuille with Lillet & Gin Cocktails”
Serves- 2
Ingredients- 13
Cooking Time- 45 minutes
Skill Level- Easy
INGREDIENTS
· 1 sheet (170g) of frozen puff pastry, thawed
· 2 tablespoons of icing sugar
· 1 punnet of raspberries
· 1 punnet of blueberries
· 300ml of thickened cream
· 1 orange
· 3 shots of your choice of Gin
· 3 shots of your Lillet Rouge Aperitif
· 2 bottles (400ml) of your choice of tonic water
· 1 cup of ice
Optional
· 1 handful of edible flowers, optional
· 1 tablespoon of raspberry jam
· 1 tablespoon of orange jam
“Equipment”
· 1 chopping board
· 1 large knife
· 1 small sieve
· 1 baking tray
· 1 electric beater
· 1 micro plane
· 2 plastic snap lock bags
· 2 cocktail glasses
“Mille Feuille Method:”
1. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Cut your puff pastry into 6 even sized rectangles. Prick each piece roughly with a fork and lightly dust with icing sugar.
2. Place on the top shelf of your oven and bake for 20 minutes or until puffed up and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
3. Meanwhile, place your cream into a bowl and beat until it has been whipped with stiff peaks forming as is able to stand on its own when you turn the bowl slightly upside down.
“Mille Feuille Method:”
4. Then divide your cream into two bowls. In the first bowl, you’ll make your orange cream. Grate in your orange zest, 1 tablespoon of icing sugar, 1 shot of gin and an optional tablespoon of orange marmalade and mix to combine.
5. The second bowl is for your raspberry cream. Place 6 raspberries into a small bowl, add a tablespoon of icing sugar, 1 shot of Lillet Rouge and an optional tablespoon of raspberry jam. Using the back of the spoon, squish the berries to release their juices and to mash them into fine pieces. Once all combined, pour the raspberry mixture into your second bowl of cream and mix until fully incorporated.
6. Place the two cream mixtures into two separate snap lock bags by placing the snap lock bags into a tall glass and folding tops of the openings over the glass. Spoon the mixture into the bags, seal and place in the fridge to cool and slightly firm up for 10 minutes.
“Mille Feuille Method:”
7. Take your puff pastry pieces and using a serrated knife, cut them in half lengthways so you are left with the top puffy piece which you will use for the top of your mille feuille and one flat piece which you will use for the middle and bottom piece of your mille feuille. Repeat for the remaining 5 other pastry pieces.
8. Now you’re ready to assemble. Take your two creams out of the fridge and snip one of the bottom corners of the snap lock bag creating a small hole in which you will pipe your cream from.
9. Place one flat pastry piece down onto a plate and then take one of your orange cream bag and begin piping small 10 cent pieced sized blobs onto your pastry. You will end up with 10 blobs of cream that are 2 blobs wide by 5 blobs long but make sure you alternate the orange cream for each row in a zig zag pattern.
“Mille Feuille Method:”
10. Then take your raspberry cream and pipe into the remaining 5 gaps.
11. Add an alternating layer of raspberries and blueberries on top of the cream and then place a flat puff pastry piece on top.
12. Repeat the entire process again and finish by placing the puffiest piece of pastry on top.
13. Lightly dust the top with icing sugar and adorn with some edible flowers.
14. Serve and enjoy immediately!
“Lillet & Gin Cocktail Method:”
1. Place a handful of ice into two cocktail glasses and pour over 1 shot each of gin and Lillet Rouge.
2. Top with tonic water and stir to combine.
3. Adorn with an edible flower and enjoy!