Waiter, there's something in my... summer berry mille feuille!

A mille feuille (also known as a vanilla slice or custard slice) is a great dessert to make in the summer, when there is an abundance of fresh fruits available. Our garden raspberries are ripening and the strawberries are sweet at this time of year, but the ingredient elevating this mille feuille to a super-dessert is the cream.
I really like the custard cream from this strawberry cream cake recipe, and while whipping the filling for this layered dessert, I had one of those rare (for me) eureka moments. White chocolate! Melted white chocolate in custard cream!



Jeanne from Cook Sister!, is hosting this month's Waiter, There’s Something In My…. event, and she's asking for berry recipes. I hope she likes this as much as my family did!

Summer Berry Mille Feuille
A selection of fruit/berries - I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
White chocolate cream, recipe below
3 puff pastry sheets, or flaky pasty can be used instead


For The Pastry
500g all butter puff pastry,
Icing sugar (powdered sugar)

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Roll out the pastry out to a square measuring roughly 12" by 12" (30 x 30 cm). If you don't have a baking sheet that is the right size, you can cut the pastry into 3 strips and bake them on separate sheets.

Place the pastry onto a baking sheet and prick the surface all over with a fork. Brush with beaten egg and bake for 10-15 minutes until nicely browned.

Cut the pastry into 3 equal strips, you can take a couple of millimeters off the edges to make them neater if you want. Dust with icing sugar and caramelise the sugar under a hot grill, or use a kitchen blow torch as I did. Caramelise both sides. Store the pastry strips in an airtight container until ready to use.

White Chocolate Cream
1 cup double cream
½ cup custard, good quality if shop bought
5oz white chocolate, melted

Whip the cream to soft peaks, then whip in the custard.
Melt the white chocolate and when it has cooled, fold it into the cream.

To Assemble The Mille Feuille
On your serving dish, place one strip of pastry (saving the best looking one for the top) and spread a quarter of the cream over it. Sprinkle with your choice of fruits, I used strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. Spread with another quarter of the cream.

Lay another pastry sheet on top and repeat the cream/fruit filling. Top with the final sheet of pastry and dust heavily with icing sugar.
Place any leftover fruits around the edge and slice to serve.

(Printable Recipe)



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