Decadent Pastry Desserts, including Mille-Feuille, That Will Elevate Any Meal

Home ArticlesDecadent Pastry Desserts, including Mille-Feuille, That Will Elevate Any Meal

Jazz down the street, sweet symphonies of a saxophone, a crisp glass of chardonnay, and a decadent pastry that makes every worry background noise. On a moonlit night, your favourite pastry desserts, great company and everything you ever hoped for – sounds rather picturesque, doesn’t it? Well, on most days, this sounds like a scene out of a movie, and that’s because it is. During the week, all you want to do is curl up in bed and switch off your brain after a long day’s work. But wouldn’t it be wonderful, if you could make your favourite pastry desserts in the comfort of your own home? Believe us when we say, it is that easy.

Incidentally, pastry desserts have held a different meaning for most Indians, at least through the late nineties to the noughts, when we addressed every layered dessert – from choco chip pastry to dark chocolate pastry as, well pastries. Yet, what we now know as pastries are a far cry from the choco chips pastry, made by layering chocolate cake, ganache and a generous filling of chocolate chips, and served at every children’s birthday party.

These delicious recipes can elevate meals from the mundane to the magnificent with great ease. Make way for flaky crusts, luscious fillings, and a great balance of texture and flavors.

For the Choux Pastry:

125 ml water
125 ml milk
100 gm unsalted butter, cubed
5 gm salt
5 gm sugar
150 gm all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

For the Lemon Cream Filling:

250 ml heavy cream
100 gm mascarpone cheese
50 gm powdered sugar
10 ml lemon juice
5 gm lemon zest

For the Raspberry Drizzle:

100 gm fresh raspberries
50 gm sugar
15 ml water

Method:

1. Prepare the Choux Pastry:

Preheat your oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan, combine water, milk, unsalted butter, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Once boiling, remove from heat and immediately add all-purpose flour. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth dough.
Return the saucepan to low heat and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes to dry out the dough slightly.
Transfer the dough to a mixing bowl. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until the dough is smooth and glossy.
Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle. Pipe small mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 5 cm apart.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let the pastries cool in the oven to prevent them from deflating.

2. Make the Lemon Cream Filling:

In a chilled mixing bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.
Add mascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Continue to whip until the mixture is thick and creamy.
Transfer the lemon cream to a piping bag with a small nozzle.

3. Prepare the Raspberry Drizzle:

In a small saucepan, combine fresh raspberries, sugar, and water. Cook over medium heat until the raspberries break down and the mixture thickens about 5-7 minutes.
Strain the raspberry sauce through a fine sieve to remove the seeds and set it aside to cool.

4. Assemble the Cream Puffs:

Slice the top third off each choux pastry puff and fill the bottom portion with lemon cream.
Replace the tops and drizzle with the raspberry sauce.
Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

2. Chocolate Hazelnut Mille-Feuille

Ingredients

For the Puff Pastry:

500 gm store-bought puff pastry, thawed
20 gm powdered sugar (for dusting)

For the Chocolate Hazelnut Cream:

250 ml heavy cream
100 gm dark chocolate, finely chopped
100 gm hazelnut spread
50 gm hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

For the Garnish:

The art of pastry-making requires a delicate hand and a keen eye for detail, but the effort is well worth it. The layering of dough, the folding, and the precise baking time are all critical elements that contribute to the final masterpiece. Yet, despite the intricacies involved, creating show-stopping pastry desserts is entirely within reach, even for home bakers. With a few essential techniques and a bit of patience, you can craft pastries that not only taste incredible but also look stunning on the plate.

1. Lemon Cream Puffs with Raspberry Drizzle

Ingredients 50 gm dark chocolate, melted

20 gm hazelnuts, crushed

Method:

1. To prepare the Puff Pastry:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of about 3 mm. Cut the pastry into three equal-sized rectangles.
Place the rectangles on the prepared baking sheet and prick them all over with a fork to prevent excessive puffing.
Dust the pastry with powdered sugar and cover with another sheet of parchment paper. Place a second baking sheet on top to weigh down the pastry and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Remove from the oven and let the pastry cool completely.

2. Make the Chocolate Hazelnut Cream:

In a saucepan, bring heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat.
Remove from heat and add chopped dark chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Stir in hazelnut spread and mix until fully combined. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, fold in toasted and chopped hazelnuts.
Transfer the mixture to a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle.

3. Assemble the Mille-Feuille:

Place one rectangle of puff pastry on a serving plate. Pipe a layer of chocolate hazelnut cream over it.
Repeat the process with the second and third layers of puff pastry and cream.
Drizzle the top with melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with crushed hazelnuts.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing and serving.

3. Apple Cinnamon Danish Pastries

Ingredients

For the Dough:

250 ml warm milk
100 gm sugar
7 gm active dry yeast
500 gm all-purpose flour
5 gm salt
2 large eggs
100 gm unsalted butter, softened

For the Apple Filling:

3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and diced
50 gm sugar
5 gm ground cinnamon
15 gm unsalted butter
15 ml lemon juice

For the Glaze:

100 gm powdered sugar
15 ml milk
2 ml vanilla extract

Method:

1. Prepare the Dough:

In a small bowl, combine warm milk, sugar, and active dry yeast. Let it sit for about 5 minutes until frothy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all-purpose flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, eggs, and softened butter. Mix until a dough forms.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5-7 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

2. Make the Apple Filling:

In a skillet, melt unsalted butter over medium heat. Add the diced apples, sugar, ground cinnamon, and lemon juice.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5-7 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the mixture is caramelized. Set aside to cool.

3. Assemble the Danish Pastries:

Preheat your oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Punch down the risen dough and roll it out into a large rectangle on a floured surface, about 1 cm thick.
Cut the dough into squares (about 10 cm x 10 cm). Place a tablespoon of the apple filling in the centre of each square.
Fold the corners of each square towards the center to enclose the filling partially.
Place the pastries on the prepared baking sheet, cover them with a kitchen towel, and let them rise for 20 minutes.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. Prepare the Glaze: