Milhojas francesas (Mille Feuille)

Mmm milhojas francesas, es lo que pense cuando vi el reto de octubre. Es un poco "rollo" lo de hacer el hojaldre, pero quedan tan bonitas y tan ricas, que merece la pena.

Ingredientes:
250 gr. Harina
50 gr mantequilla sin sal
6 gr sal 150 ml agua fria
200 gr mantequilla a temperatura ambiente
30 gr harina


Cortar los 200 gr de mantequilla en trocitos. Poner los 250 gr de harina en un bol con la sal y los 50 gr de mantequilla tambien en trocitos. Amasar con los dedos hasta que quede una textura de migas de pan. Mezclalo con el agua fria hasta que se forme una masa (corrige de harina o de agua).
Amasa durante 3 minutos, envuelvela en film y a la nevera durante media hora. Mientras tanto mezcla la mantequilla y la harina restantes, pon esta masa de mantequilla entre dos hojas de film y con el rodillo o con las manos, haz un cuadrado de unos 12 cm de lado.
Dejalo en la nevera unos 15 minutos para que la mantequilla coja consistencia.
Una vez pasados los tiempos de espera, enharina la superficie de trabajo, estiende la masa principal y pon en el centro la masa de mantequilla.
Haz un sobre con la masa que envuelva a la mantequilla.

 

-“Vuelta”: Con el rodillo haz un rectangulo de unos 6mm de grosor. Giralo y ponlo apaisado,dividelo mentalmente en tres, coje un tercio y doblalo hasta tapar el tercio central, luego haz lo mismo con el otro lado.
Repite la “vuelta” otra vez y refrigera la masa 30 minutos
Repite la “vuelta” dos veces mas y refrigera la masa 30 minutos
Finalmente repite la “vuelta” dos veces y refrigera la masa hasta que la vayas a usar. Puede estar un par de dias en la nevera.

Crema pastelera 

Ingredientes:
500 ml de leche entera
½ vaina de vainilla
130 g de azúcar
4 yemas de huevo
40 g de maizena

Aromatizar la leche poniéndola al fuego con la vainilla, que no hierva.
Mezclamos las yemas junto con el azúcar. Incorporar la maizena a la mezcla anterior
Verter todo en la leche aromatizada Poner la mezcla a fuego muy suave y revolver hasta que cuaje. Dejar enfriar.

Cubierta

Ingredientes:
350 gr azucar glass
10 ml zumo de limon
2 claras de huevo
80 gr chocolate negro

Para hacer el icing, bate las claras con el zumo de limon, luego añade 300 gr de azucar glass y mezcla bien. Si no tiene mucha consistencia añade mas azucar.

Montaje:
Precalienta el horno a 200°C.
Divide la masa en tres y extiende cada parte formando un rectangulo para cubrir tu bandeja de horno. Pon un papel de hornear debajo, luego una hoja de masa, luego otra capa de masa.. la ultima tapala con papel de hornear y pon otra bandeja encima para que haga peso y no suba mucho el hojaldre. Mete al horno unos 25 minutos.
Deja que se enfrien.
Una vez frias las capas puedes montar las milhojas.
Pon una capa de hojaldre, cubrela con la mitad de la crema pastelera, pon otra capa de hojaldre, cubrela con el resto de crema pastelera y pon la ultima capa de hojaldre encima.
Todo esto lo cubrimos con el icing (no pasa nada porque quede feo, luego lo cortamos para que quede perfecto).
Antes de que se seque el icing derretimos el chocolate y lo ponemos en una manga pastelera con una boquilla minima (solo un agujerito). Hacemos unas lineas sobre el icing en horizontal. Luego con un cuchillo hacemos unas marcas en vertical arrastrando un poco de chocolate (limpia el cuchillo entre linea y linea), eso hace que se quede el dibujo tipico de las milhojas francesas.

Ingredients:
1¾ cup (250g) plain/all-purpose flour Scant
¼ cup (55 ml) (1¾ oz)(50g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 teaspoon (5ml) (6 gm) salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (5/8 cup)(150 ml) cold water
14 tablespoons (210 ml) (7 oz) (200g) butter (for the beurrage), room temperature
3½ tablespoons (55ml) (30g) plain flour (for the beurrage)
Additional flour for rolling/turning

Directions:
1. Cut the larger quantity of butter into smallish pieces and set aside at room temperature.
2. Put the larger quantity of flour into a bowl with the salt and the cold, cubed butter.
3. Lightly rub the butter and flour between your fingertips until it forms a mealy breadcrumb texture.
4. Add the cold water and bring together with a fork or spoon until the mixture starts to cohere and come away from the sides of the bowl.
5. As the dough begins to come together, you can use your hands to start kneading and incorporating all the remaining loose bits. If the dough’s a little dry, you can add a touch more water.
6. Knead for three minutes on a floured surface until the dough is smooth.
7. Wrap in film and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
8. While the dough is chilling, take your room temperature butter and mix with the smaller amount of plain flour until it forms a paste.
9. Place the butter paste between two sheets of film, and either with a rolling pin or your hands (I found hands easiest) shape it into a 4.5”/12cm square. You can use a ruler (or similar) to neaten the edges.
10. Refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes so the butter firms up slightly. If it’s still soft, leave it a bit longer. If it’s too hard and inflexible, leave it out to soften a touch. You want it to be solid but still malleable.
11. Once the dough has chilled, roll it out on a floured surface into a 6”/15cm square. Place the square of butter in the middle, with each corner touching the centre of the square’s sides (see photo below).
12. Fold each corner of dough over the butter so they meet the centre (you might have to stretch them a little) and it resembles an envelope, and seal up the edges with your fingers. You’ll be left with a little square parcel
13. Turn the dough parcel over and tap the length of it with your rolling pan to flatten it slightly.
14. Keeping the work surface well floured, roll the dough carefully into a rectangle ¼ inch /6 mm in thickness.
15. With the longest side facing you, fold one third inwards, so it’s covering the middle section, and ensure that it is lined up.
16. Then, fold the remaining flap of dough inwards, so you’re left with a narrow three-layered strip.
17. Repeat steps 14, 15, 16.
18. Wrap up in film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
19. Repeat steps 14, 15, 16 twice.
20. Wrap up in film and chill again for at least 30 minutes.
21. Repeat steps 14, 15, 16 two final times.
22. Wrap up in film and refrigerate until needed. The dough keeps a couple of days in the fridge.

Pastry cream 
 Ingredients:
500 ml whole milk
40 gm) cornflour/cornstarch
130 gr caster sugar
4 large egg yolks
 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla essence

 Directions:
 Heat the milk in a saucepan with the vanilla but don’t let the milk boil.
Mix the cornflour/cornstarch with the sugar and the egg yolks.
Stir until dissolved Pour in the hot milk, stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking. Now, bring it back to the boil. Keep whisking (don’t stop or it’ll solidify) on a medium heat until the mixture starts to thicken.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and thoroughly whisk the pastry cream. pour the pastry cream into a stainless steel or ceramic bowl, and then place film over the surface to stop a skin forming.
Refrigerate overnight to give the pastry cream time to further thicken.

 Icing 
2 ¾ cups (660 ml) (12⅓oz) (350gm) icing sugar
 2 teaspoons (10 ml) lemon juice
 2 large egg whites
 ½ cup (2¾ oz) (80gm) dark chocolate

 To make the icing, whisk 2 egg whites with 2 teaspoons lemon juice until lightly frothy. Whisk in about (2 cups) 300gm of the icing sugar on a low setting until smooth and combined. The mixture should be thick enough to leave trails on the surface. If it’s too thin, whisk in a bit more icing sugar.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to moderately hot 200 °C /400°F/gas mark 6.
2. Lightly dust your work space with flour and remove your dough from the fridge.
3. Roll into a large rectangle, the thickness of cardboard. The recipe I followed specified no other dimensions, but I rolled mine to about 12”/30cm x 18”/46cm.
4. Cut into three equal pieces and place on a baking tray. If you don’t have space for all three, you can bake them separately.
5. Prick the pastry sheets all over with a fork.
6. Place another sheet of greaseproof paper over the top and then a heavy baking tray. This will prevent the layers from puffing up too much.
7. Bake each sheet for about 25 minutes in a moderately hot oven 200 °C /400°F/gas mark 6, removing the top layer of greaseproof paper/tray 10 minutes before the end for the tops to brown. Keep an eye on them periodically and lower the temperature if you think they’re browning too much.
8. Remove the baked sheets from the oven and leave on a wire rack to cool.
9. Once the pastry has cooled, you’re ready to assemble your mille-feuille. Get a sturdy flat board, your pastry and the chilled crème patissiere from the fridge
10. Lay one sheet on the board and spread half the crème patisserie evenly over the top.
11. Take the second sheet and place it on top, pressing down lightly with your hands to ensure that it sticks to the filling.
12. Spread the remaining crème patisseries and place the last sheet of pastry on top, pressing down again. (Don’t worry if there’s some oozing at the sides. That can be neatened later.)
13. Pop in the fridge while you prepare the icing / chocolate.
14. Melt the chocolate in a bain marie, stirring periodically. Once melted, transfer to a piping bag (or plastic bag with end snipped), resting nozzle side down in a glass or other tall container.
15. To make the icing, whisk 2 egg whites with 2 teaspoons lemon juice until lightly frothy.
16. Whisk in about (2 cups) 300gm of the icing sugar on a low setting until smooth and combined. The mixture should be thick enough to leave trails on the surface. If it’s too thin, whisk in a bit more icing sugar. 17. Once ready, immediately pour over the top of the mille-feuille and spread evenly. I found that I didn’t quite need all of the icing.
18. Still working quickly, pipe a row of thin chocolate lines along the widest length of your pastry sheet (see below). You can make them as far apart/close together as you like.
19. STILL working quickly (phew), take a sharp knife and lightly draw it down (from top to bottom) through the rows of chocolate. A centimeter (½ inch) or so further across, draw the knife up the way this time, from bottom to top. Move along, draw it down again. Then up. And so on, moving along the rows of chocolate until the top is covered in a pretty swirly pattern.
20. Once you’ve decorated your mille-feuille (no doubt far more beautifully than I did), with a clean knife mark out where you’re going to cut your slices, depending on how big you want them to be and leaving space to trim the edges. I got ten out of mine – two rows of five.
21. Chill for a couple of hours to give the icing (etc.) time to set.
22. With a sharp knife, trim the edges and cut your slices.

Blog-checking lines: Our October 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Suz of Serenely Full. Suz challenged us to not only tackle buttery and flaky puff pastry, but then take it step further and create a sinfully delicious Mille Feuille dessert with it!