Mille-Feuille (Napoleon Pastry)

From the countless flaky layers of delicate puff pastry, to the creamy clouds of vanilla pastry cream, to the decorative marbled icing, mille-feuille is an impressive dessert worthy of a special occasion. Learn how to make this classic European pastry in your own kitchen—no complicated ingredients or pastry school diploma needed. I include thorough explanations in the blog post below, as well as many step photos in the recipe, to set you up for success.

One reader, Lauri, commented:This has been on my baking bucket list for years, but I’ve always been too afraid! Sally made the step-by-step instructions very easy to follow, and these are delicious and worth every minute I put into them!! ★★★★★

mille-feuille square serving on white plate with fresh raspberries.

Ready to majorly impress yourself and anyone lucky enough to be a taste tester? Let’s make an ornate-looking (but totally approachable) pastry dessert.


What Is Mille Feuille (and How Do You Pronounce It)?

The French “mille feuille” (pronounced meel foy) translates to a thousand sheets or leaves, a description of this dessert’s many whisper-thin pastry layers. It’s also sometimes called a “Napoleon” or a “custard slice” depending on the filling and/or region. (There are so many versions!) No matter what you call it, this eye-catching European pastry is an impressive sight to behold in a pâtisserie display case.

I have loved poring over recipes online, including from The Spruce Eats, Erin Jeanne McDowell’s on Food52, Bake from Scratch, Preppy Kitchen’s mille feuille, and Prue Leith’s on GBBO. I set out to make my own version, using a couple of those recipes as my inspiration.

And today I’m going to teach you how to make it, too. Just like with homemade croissants, it may look like a daunting baking challenge, but if you take your time with some of the technical steps, I promise it’s doable! The process does take time, but the steps can be broken up over a couple of days.

slices on napoleon pastry dessert with icing on top and dripping down the side.
mille feuille napoleon pastry stack with vanilla icing and chevron-style swirled melted chocolate on top.

How to Make Mille-Feuille (Millefeuille or Mille Feuille)

Today’s mille-feuille is made up of:

  • 3 layers of baked puff pastry
  • 2 layers of pastry cream
  • 1 layer of marbled icing

Here is everything you need to make this recipe:

ingredients measured on marble counter including egg yolks, cornstarch, butter, pastry dough, heavy cream, chocolate, and milk.

Pastry Cream Filling

Let’s start with the filling because it has cooling and chilling steps involved; it’s efficient to make this first so it’s ready when the baked puff pastry layers are ready. (You can also make it a day ahead.)

Pastry cream, or crème pâtissière, is a vanilla custard-like filling you can use for treats like pies, eclairs, doughnuts, and more. You cook it on the stove just like you prepare the pudding filling for banana cream pie. It’s quite thick after chilling, so you usually need to give it a stir to smooth it out again. In this layered mille-feuille, we actually take it a step further and add whipped cream. This considerably lightens up the texture, making it velvety-smooth—think homemade whipped cream, but richer and more substantial. When you add whipped cream to pastry cream, I learned, it’s called crème légère, or lightened cream. (It can also be called diplomat cream or crème diplomate, but that sometimes includes gelatin.)

If you’ve ever made Boston cream pie, you’re familiar with pastry cream. I deviated from that recipe, though. It’s a cake filling there, so it’s really sturdy and thick. I needed less pastry cream, and I wanted a lighter consistency for this dessert’s filling.

The detailed instructions and step photos are in the recipe below, but let me share some key steps and success tips so you have a better understanding.

  • Cornstarch and egg yolks thicken the cream. Combine those first, and then move to the stove. You’ll simmer whole milk and granulated sugar together, and then remove it from heat and temper the egg yolks.
  • Tempering is important here. To temper, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks and cornstarch, whisking constantly. This carefully and slowly raises the egg yolks’ temperature. The purpose of tempering is to prevent scrambling them.
  • Strain it. Just in case there are some solids! Pour all of the mixture back into the saucepan through a fine-mesh sieve, to strain out any solids that may have formed.
  • Bring it to a boil. At first it won’t seem like it’s thickening much, just getting frothy, but as soon as it reaches a boil with big bubbles bursting on the surface, it will thicken up pretty much immediately.
  • Remove from heat & add flavor. Stir in butter, vanilla extract, vanilla bean + a pinch of salt.

Then you’ll need to refrigerate it so it thickens.

This is the velvet-rich pastry cream before chilling:

spoonful of creamy pastry cream in glass bowl.

Chill it in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. It will firm up a lot during this time. Give it a stir and then combine it with whipped cream. Chill it once again for 1 hour, so it’s nice and thick for piping between the flaky pastry layers.

And this is the pastry cream after combining with whipped cream:

vanilla bean pastry cream with whipped cream folded in with red spatula.

Puff Pastry Layers

I’m using my homemade rough puff pastry, but you can absolutely take the shortcut of using store-bought puff pastry. If frozen, thaw it according to package instructions before you begin.

If you’d like to make the rough puff pastry from scratch, you need just 5 ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, cold butter, and cold water. All of the same ingredients as butter pie crust, but there’s the added rolling and folding process, similar to biscuits, which gives us all of those flaky layers.

Once you have your store-bought dough thawed, or the homemade dough chilled (after the second refrigeration as detailed in the rough puff pastry post), it’s time to roll it out, and you’ll find those exact instructions below in the recipe. Place the rolled-out dough on a lined baking sheet and dock it with a fork, just like you would when par-baking pie crust.

This is the homemade puff pastry dough ready to bake:

rolled-out dough with fork dock marks all over it on top of lined baking sheet.

This is the store-bought puff pastry dough ready to bake (you’ll connect the 2 sheets that usually come in a box):

rolled out store-bought puff pastry docked with fork on top of lined baking sheet.

An Odd Step: Weigh It Down!

Now here’s the step not usually included in puff pastry recipes: we are going to weigh down the pastry to prevent it from puffing up too much.

Place another sheet of parchment paper on top of the pastry dough, then set another baking sheet on top of that. If you have pie weights, pour them onto the top baking sheet. You could also use dried beans instead. If you don’t have either, bake it with just the (empty) top baking sheet, and when it comes out of the oven, set a pan or skillet on the top baking sheet while it cools.

You’ll bake it covered with weights (or whatever you’re using) for 20 minutes, and then uncovered (without weights) for another 7–9 minutes.

Note: I found that the homemade puff pastry gets much darker than the store-bought; likely because it’s made with butter instead of oil-based fats.


Once the baked pastry has cooled, you’ll cut it into 15 (roughly) equally sized pieces, to make 5 mille-feuille stacks containing 3 pastry layers each.

baked homemade puff pastry and then cut into squares.

Mille-feuille are often rectangular in shape, but I found that making them as squares was easier when it came to cutting uniform-size pieces. When I tested these as rectangles, I found they were either too small and difficult to assemble, or else made 4 huge pastries that were much too large for individual portions. I had the best success with making 5 assembled 3-inch square pastries.


Top & Assemble the Mille-Feuille

There are many ways to top these, ranging from a simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar to fanciful swirls of two-toned icing. Some recipes call for royal icing, while others use fondant. I love the signature marbled icing look, so that’s what I’m demonstrating.

After testing many variations, my taste testers and I determined that a thick vanilla icing + melted chocolate pairing makes for the tastiest topping. Dark, bittersweet, or semi-sweet chocolate tastes best with the sweet vanilla icing. Like I always recommend for melting chocolate, chop up a bar of baking chocolate—save the chocolate chips for chocolate chip cookies.

You’ll ice all of the tops first, before assembling, because it’s difficult to ice the tops efficiently when they’re layered on top of a creamy filling. Place the 5 pastry squares you’ll use for the tops on a wire rack. With an icing spatula or a spoon, spread the vanilla icing on each square. Then pipe or drizzle melted chocolate on top. For this, I piped 4 stripes across and then used a toothpick to create the classic chevron design by dragging it in a perpendicular direction. Like this:

piping melted chocolate on top of icing on square of pastry and shown again running toothpick through it.

Now let’s fill the pastries. Fit a pastry/piping bag with a large round tip, such as Ateco 808 (which I use for a lot of cupcakes—see this piping tips post). Or, you can simply use a large plastic bag and snip off a bottom corner with scissors.

Start with one plain (un-iced) square of pastry and pipe on 3 dollops of cream in 3 rows, so you have a grid of 9 dollops. Place another pastry square on top of that, and then repeat the piping the same way. Finally, place one of the iced pastry layers on top.

Refrigerate the assembled pastries (uncovered) for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving, just so they aren’t toppling over. Like in most pastry recipes, the refrigerator is your friend here.

hand placing the icing-topped pastry square on top of the other two layers of pastry cream.

How to Eat Mille-Feuille

Ahh, yes. The most difficult instruction of the day. 😉 In this step, you’ll simply stuff your face with it. But slowly! Savor and enjoy every bite. Respect the time that went into making it!

Plate each mille-feuille and serve with a fork, or you can eat it handheld. The longer the assembled pastries sit in the refrigerator, the more solid they’ll become. But regardless of the time it sets, the soft filling will spill out the sides when you cut or bite into it, and that’s fine! It’s crispy, it’s creamy, it’s close-your-eyes-and-sigh dreamy.

Can I use store-bought puff pastry?

Yes, absolutely. But if you want the challenge, and a heightened flavor experience, I strongly encourage you to use homemade puff pastry. You’ll be rewarded with an optimal flavor and texture experience. And you can really taste that butter in the homemade version!

What can I use to weigh down the baking pastry instead of pie weights?

You can use dried beans. OR you can just add the baking sheet on top and not fill it with weights or beans. (Always add a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough, though, so the pan is not touching it.) OR as the baked pastry is cooling, place something heavy like a pot or pan on top of the top baking sheet, to weigh down the baking sheet that is on the puff pastry. (I have done that last suggestion before and it works just fine.)

Do I have to use pastry cream as the filling?

Though it’s the most common filling in this dessert, you do not have to use pastry cream between the layers. I have a list of other filling options below, like mousse or no-bake cheesecake filling.

What other topping options are there?

Instead of the vanilla icing + chocolate combo, you can simply dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar. You can also skip the chocolate for a plain vanilla icing topping, or skip the vanilla icing and drizzle melted chocolate directly on top. Or, some recipes call for royal icing. (If you want to use my recipe for royal icing, I recommend halving it.)


Other Filling Options

Or you can still use pastry cream, or any of the suggestions above, and layer your filling of choice with fresh raspberries or thinly sliced strawberries and dollops of jam. Or pipe rows of raspberry cake filling between rows of your choice of cream/mousse filling. Lots of options!

straight on photo of 3 layered puff pastry and pastry cream layers.
mille feuille square serving with forkful taken out on a white plate with raspberry and mint leaf.

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straight on photo of 3 layered puff pastry and pastry cream layers.

Mille-Feuille (Napoleon Pastry)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 463 reviews
  • Author: Sally McKenney
  • Prep Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes (includes stovetop time)
  • Total Time: 5 hours (includes chilling)
  • Yield: 5 3-layer squares (each is shareable!)
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: French
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Description

From the countless flaky layers of delicate puff pastry, to the creamy clouds of vanilla pastry cream, to the decorative marbled icing, mille-feuille is an indulgent dessert worthy of a special occasion. Learn how to make this classic European pastry in your own kitchen by carefully following the detailed recipe below. I also include thorough explanations in the blog post above, and step photos in the recipe instructions, to set you up for success. Review recipe Notes below before starting.


Ingredients

Dough

  • 1 lb. homemade rough puff pastry or store-bought frozen & thawed puff pastry (2 sheets)
  • all-purpose flour as needed to roll dough

Pastry Cream Filling

  • 4 large egg yolks, cold or room temperature
  • 3 Tablespoons (23g) cornstarch
  • 2 cups (480ml) whole milk (do not use low-fat or nondairy)
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon (14g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean (or extra 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
  • small pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold

Topping

  • 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1.5 Tablespoons milk (dairy or nondairy)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ounces (57g) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped


Instructions

I encourage you to read through this recipe entirely before beginning, so you understand each step and are prepared for the various cooking, cooling, and chilling stages. 

  1. Prepare homemade rough puff pastry dough through 2nd refrigeration. If using store-bought frozen puff pastry, thaw according to package directions. Keep either dough in the refrigerator until step 7 below.
  2. Make the pastry cream: In a large heatproof bowl (preferably with a pour spout), whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together with a fork. It may not look like it will all come together (it will be dry at first), but keep mixing until the mixture is thick and combined. If it’s not coming together at all, add a few drops of the milk you need in step 3 to bring together. Set aside at room temperature. fork in yellow mixture in glass bowl.
  3. Combine the milk and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat. Pour the warm milk and sugar mixture in a slow and steady stream into the egg yolk and cornstarch mixture, whisking the entire time. Keep those egg yolks moving so they don’t scramble. Over a sieve, to strain out any egg yolk solids that may have formed during tempering, pour the mixture back into the saucepan. milk with bubbles on top in pot and another picture showing egg yolk mixture with some poured in.
    tempered egg yolk and milk mixture in glass bowl and another picture showing egg yolk solids caught in sieve.
  4. Return the saucepan to medium heat, and whisk constantly. The mixture will be frothy on the surface at first, and then it will begin to thicken quickly and large bubbles will begin to burst on the surface. This usually takes about 1–2 minutes. Stand back and use caution. Let the bubbles burst for about 20 seconds, or until the mixture has thickened into a custard- or pudding-like consistency. (For a more accurate test, the custard is done when the temperature reaches 185–190°F (85–88°C).) Remove from heat. Whisk in butter, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and a pinch of salt. Cool for 10 minutes. (You will use the heavy cream later, in step 9.) butter and vanilla on top of cooked pastry cream with rainbow whisk.
    vanilla pastry cream (crème pâtissière) with rainbow whisk in pot.
  5. Transfer the pastry cream from the saucepan to a heatproof bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment directly on the surface of the custard, to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, and up to 24 hours. Makes 2–2.5 cups, or about 580–610g.
  6. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a 12×17-inch baking sheet (half sheet pan) with parchment paper. Have a second baking sheet and more parchment paper out as well. Set aside.
  7. Shape the dough: On a floured work surface using a floured rolling pin, roll pastry dough into a rectangle about 11×16 inches in size. (If using store-bought puff pastry sheets, place them side by side, with the edge of one sheet overlapping the other in the center, and use a rolling pin to adhere them together as you roll the whole thing out into an 11×16-inch rectangle.)rolled out dough on marble surface.
  8. Transfer the dough to the lined baking sheet. Dock the surface with a fork to allow steam to escape. Place a second piece of parchment paper on top of the pastry dough. Set a second baking sheet, filled with pie weights (or dried beans, or other options see recipe Note below) on top. Bake for 20 minutes with pan & weights on top. Remove from oven and carefully remove the top weighted baking sheet and the top piece of parchment. Return the uncovered pastry to the oven for 7–9 more minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 20 minutes on the pan, and then carefully lift it and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. rolled-out dough with fork dock marks all over it on top of lined baking sheet.
    hands holding a baking sheet with white round pie weights on top.
    baked homemade puff pastry on lined baking sheet.
  9. Finish the cream filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add the chilled pastry cream to the bowl with the whipped cream. Beat on low speed until just combined and smooth. Do not over-mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. You’ll use it in step 12.whipped cream in glass bowl and shown again with pastry cream being stirred in.
    vanilla bean pastry cream with whipped cream folded in with red spatula.
  10. Assemble the pastries: Using a large, very sharp knife, trim around the sides of the cooled pastry to straighten up any uneven edges. Use the knife to cut the pastry into 15 squares roughly uniform in size. NOTE: The pastry will shrink some while baking. After starting with dough rolled out to 11×16 inches, after baking it typically ends up around 9–10×14–15 inches. So if you have a baked pastry that’s 9×15 inches (after trimming the edges), your 15 squares will be 3×3 inches. If your pastry is a slightly different size, don’t panic! Use a measuring tape or ruler to measure the sides to determine exactly how wide to space your cuts. Measure the long side and divide by 5, then measure the short side and divide by 3. baked homemade puff pastry with edges trimmed off.
    baked homemade puff pastry and then cut into squares.
  11. Make & add the topping: In a small bowl, whisk together the sifted confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla until combined and smooth. Place the chopped chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl or liquid measuring cup. Melt in 20-second increments in the microwave, stirring after each increment, until completely melted and smooth. Transfer the melted chocolate to a squeeze bottle or a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, or use a small plastic sandwich bag and cut off a bottom corner. Place 5 pastry squares on a wire rack set over parchment paper. With a spoon or icing spatula, spoon and spread the vanilla icing on one square. Before the icing has a chance to set, pipe 4 lines of melted chocolate across each top. Use a toothpick to create a chevron design, dragging it across the stripes in a perpendicular direction. Alternate directions with the toothpick, wiping the toothpick end with a paper towel in between each pass. Repeat with the remaining 4 pastry squares. two photo collage showing vanilla icing in one photo and melted chocolate in the other.
    hand spreading vanilla icing on baked puff pastry pieces.
    piping melted chocolate on top of icing on square of pastry and shown again running toothpick through it.
  12. Assemble the mille-feuille: Fit a pastry/piping bag with a large round tip. Or, you can simply use a large plastic bag and snip off a bottom corner with scissors. Starting with one of the (plain/un-iced) pastry squares, pipe 3 dollops of cream filling in 3 rows (9 dollops total). Place another (plain) pastry square on top, pressing down very lightly. Repeat the piping of 9 dollops on the next layer. Place one of the decorated (iced) pastry squares on top of the second layer of cream filling. Repeat with the remaining pastry squares; you will have 5 assembled pastries. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes before serving, or up to 8 hours. The soft filling will spill out the sides when you cut or bite into it, and that’s expected. dollops of creme legere on puff pastry squares.
    hand placing the icing-topped pastry square on top of the other two layers of pastry cream.
  13. Store mille-feuille in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pastry will become softer and less crisp over time.

Notes

  1. Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: There are several ways to get started on this recipe. If using homemade dough, you can prepare it 1-2 days in advance. See rough puff pastry dough recipe for details. You can prepare the pastry cream 1 day ahead of time, see step 5. The baked and cooled puff pastry, either as a whole or cut into squares, is fine covered at room temperature for up to 1 day. To freeze, after the assembled pastries have been refrigerated for at least 30 minutes in step 12 (or until the icing sets), you can wrap them each in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. You will lose some of that crisp, flaky texture in the puff pastry though.
  2. Special Tools (affiliate links): Whisk | Sieve | Instant-Read Thermometer | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Rolling Pin | Parchment Paper | Baking Sheet | Pie Weights | Cooling Rack | Small Offset Icing Spatula | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco 808 Piping Tip or other large round tip | Squeeze Bottle or small icing tip such as Wilton Icing Tip #5
  3. Puff Pastry: If using homemade puff pastry, be generous with the bench flour when rolling out, to prevent sticking.
  4. Pie Weights: If you don’t have pie weights, you can use dried beans. OR you can just add the second baking sheet on top and not fill it with weights or beans. (Always add a piece of parchment paper on top of the dough, though, so the pan is not touching it.) OR as the baked pastry is cooling, place something heavy like a pot or pan on top of the top baking sheet, to weigh down the baking sheet that is on the puff pastry. (I have done that last suggestion before and it works just fine.)
  5. Chocolate: The best chocolate for melting and drizzling is the “baking chocolate” bars found in the baking aisle of the grocery store. I typically use Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands, either semi-sweet or bittersweet. They are usually sold as 4-ounce bars, so you’ll need half of one for this recipe. Do not use chocolate chips because they contain stabilizers, which prevent them from melting into the correct consistency.
  6. Other Filling Options: Instead of pastry cream, you can use the peanut butter mousse filling from these homemade eclairs; whipped cream for an extra light and barely sweetened filling; lightly sweetened whipped frosting; the no-bake cheesecake filling from these cheesecake jars; or the mousse filling from this dark chocolate mousse cake. Or you can still use pastry cream, or any of the suggestions I just listed, and layer your filling of choice with fresh raspberries or thinly sliced strawberries and dollops of jam. Or pipe rows of raspberry cake filling between rows of your choice of cream/mousse filling.
  7. Other Topping Options: Instead of the vanilla icing and melted chocolate combo, you can simply dust the tops with confectioners’ sugar. You can also skip the chocolate for a plain vanilla icing topping, or skip the vanilla icing and drizzle melted chocolate directly on top. Or some mille-feuille recipes use royal icing. If you want to use my recipe for royal icing, I recommend halving it.
  8. Adapted from a combination of Bake from Scratch & The Spruce Eats; I made changes to the cream filling, used homemade pastry (and found baking it as a whole sheet and then cutting into squares to be easiest), and opted for vanilla icing and melted chocolate instead of topping with royal icing or confectioners’ sugar.
sally mckenney headshot purple shirt.
About the Author

Sally McKenney

Sally McKenney is a baker, food photographer, and New York Times best-selling author. Her kitchen-tested recipes and step-by-step tutorials have given millions of readers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch. Sally’s work has been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America, Taste of Home, People, and more.

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Reader Comments and Reviews

  1. Barbara Rooney says:
    February 29, 2024

    Making these was a lot of work but the reward was worth it!

    Reply
  2. Cally Wade says:
    February 29, 2024

    I loved making this recipe. I’m vegan so I made some modifications so my family could eat it, but this recipe was very easy to follow. I loved the challenge of making such a fancy desert lol

    Reply
  3. Cally Wade says:
    February 29, 2024

    This recipe was very easy to follow! I’m vegan and it was easy for me to make small modifications to make it for my family. It was fun to make such a fancy desert that didn’t seem extremely overwhelming.

    Reply
  4. Diane Asoyuf says:
    February 29, 2024

    I loved the challenge this recipe gave me. I now know how to make puff pastry.
    awesome. The flavour is good also. Very much looking forward to next months challenge

    Reply
  5. Jamie says:
    February 29, 2024

    Easy to follow instructions!

    Reply
  6. Nadine says:
    February 29, 2024

    Although I found this recipe definitely a challenge for me -it wasn’t the perfect but the end result it was so delicious and your instructions are so easy to follow thank you Looking forward for March challenge

    Reply
  7. Vanessa says:
    February 29, 2024

    Was very fun to make, it wasnt perfect so I want to try it again. The dollops woudnt keep there shape ? But the flavors are great !

    Reply
  8. Elena L says:
    February 29, 2024

    Reply
  9. Elena L says:
    February 29, 2024

    This recipe was definitely the coolest challenge I’ve ever baked!
    I did not use a vanilla bean in the custard, but it’s still delicious. Super fun!

    Reply
  10. Andrea Holland says:
    February 29, 2024

    I thought it was DELICIOUS! I definitely need to practice making it though. I think my pastry cream was too runny.

    Reply
  11. Sydney Hatton says:
    February 29, 2024

    This was a fun and unique challenge to try! I personally halved the pastry cream recipe and it made the perfect amount I needed. Next time, I’d like to mix up my toppings for the design!

    Reply
  12. Alice Rowell says:
    February 29, 2024

    I can’t wait to share this wonderful delicious pastry. It was fun and challenging to make, but I will do it again.

    Reply
  13. Katy B says:
    February 29, 2024

    As with all Sally’s recipes, this came together beautifully. My filling was a little too soft because I don’t think I whipped the cream enough. It was still delicious!

    Reply
  14. Carrie Hoey says:
    February 29, 2024

    Such an easy, fun dessert. I made it for my mom’s birthday and, on her request, added some raspberries and whipped cream with the pastry cream between layers. I love how impressive the finished product looks and how quickly it comes together.

    Reply
  15. Jennifer says:
    February 29, 2024

    My first time making puff pastry and it turned out perfect. The instructions and video were really helpful. It wasn’t my prettiest bake – my pastry cream was a little loose so it squished out the sides when I stacked the layers – but it was DELICIOUS and now I know what to do differently next time.

    Reply
  16. Ginger says:
    February 29, 2024

    I’m glad I made this recipe which gave me confidence to make these. The pastry creme was the hardest step and following Sally’s instructions, it turned out perfectly. However, my favorite French pastry shop uses a more buttery creme filling, so I am going to try incorporating softened butter instead of cream next time for a buttery filling. This was my first time making pastries and I was surprised at how easy the puff pastry and icing steps were. My kids gobbled these up.

    Reply
  17. Pam R. says:
    February 29, 2024

    I forgot to leave my stars….. 🙂 The recipe looked like it would be difficult but it really wasn’t difficult; and it looks so impressive!!!

    Reply
  18. Jessica Steele says:
    February 28, 2024

    I didn’t find this recipe super challenging, because I’ve made lemon curd and banana pudding which are similar to the process for the pastry cream and I’ve made puff pastry before. But it was very involved and definitely something I would never normally make. I absolutely loved it. I just couldn’t figure out the best way to eat it and not make a giant mess

    Reply
  19. Marcy Dix says:
    February 28, 2024

    The rough puff pastry went really well, but my pastry cream was too loose. I’ve had success with other pastry creams, but something about this one didn’t work for me.

    Reply
  20. Beth says:
    February 28, 2024

    What a fun challenge! The recipe notes made it easy to break up the different elements of this dessert to make it more manageable. The end result was flakey and delicious!

    Reply
  21. Leah Svensen Knight says:
    February 28, 2024

    Oh my goodness – delightful!

    Reply
  22. Vicki L. says:
    February 28, 2024

    Complicated recipes like this definitely intimidate, but the steps were so simple and well-explained that, while definitely labor-intensive, nothing about it was over-complicated or too hard!

    Reply
  23. Becky Hunter says:
    February 28, 2024

    Great instructions which made it so much easier to follow. Mine wasn’t perfect but it will be next time!

    Reply
  24. Erin L says:
    February 28, 2024

    It was a fun recipe to make. I used store bought pastry and it was not too complicated to put it all together.

    Reply
  25. Carrie Tolman says:
    February 28, 2024

    The rough puff was time consuming but well worth the wait! The pastry cream was so velvety.

    Reply
  26. Christina Rose says:
    February 28, 2024

    The recipe was very detailed and easy to follow. I made the homemade puff pastry. The pastry was buttery and flaky. The filling had a great flavor and wasn’t too sweet. Everything came together great and all of the flavors worked perfectly together.

    Reply
  27. Sammie says:
    February 28, 2024

    This was such a fun challenge! This was my first attempt at making rough puff pastry and I’m so happy with how it came out! Everybody loved the final product!

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  28. Beth says:
    February 28, 2024

    This is delicious, but I struggled with it. When I added the whipped cream, the pastry cream became runny. I stopped beating it when combined, so I don’t know what I did wrong. I also had trouble rolling out the homemade pastry dough to the correct measurements (user error). Everyone loved it!

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  29. Kate Aniol says:
    February 28, 2024

    I love this recipe! Super fun to make and delicious!

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  30. Verena Sturm says:
    February 28, 2024

    I really like the custard and it goes well with the not so sweet puff pastry but I’m not a fan of the icing on top. I know it’s traditional, especially with the chevron pattern, so I did it, but man is it sweet! If I were to make this again, I’d definitely reduce the sugar in the pastry cream by half.. Can’t really change the topping without simply leaving it off but if you’d do that, the pastry would be too dry, it really does need something. Would be worth trying the pastry with less sugar inside and maybe just the topping?

    That said it’s a fun bake – nothing you throw together in 2 min or less and then forget about in the oven, which is what I enjoyed about the recipe. I’ve eaten those pastries before and I’ve got a whole new view of them (and their price!) now.

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