The classic French pastry is notoriously tricky to perfect, but this version is far easier to master, and just as delicious.

Ingredients

For the pastry:

  • 380g all butter shop bought puff pastry
  • 45g sifted icing sugar plus a little extra for serving
  • 200ml shop bought lemon curd
  • Selection of berries or fruit, lemon zest, chopped toasted hazelnuts for finishing

For the white chocolate cream:

  • 300 ml full fat milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour - sifted
  • 2 tablespoons cornflour - sifted
  • Pinch of salt
  • 100 g white chocolate finely chopped

For the berry compote:

  • 500g mixed berries of your choice
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • Splash fresh orange juice plus 1 strip of zest

Method

To make the white chocolate cream:

  1. Heat the milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan until just before boiling point.
  2. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, flours and pinch of salt. Pour the warm milk mix into the egg mixture whilst continuously whisking. Transfer back to the saucepan and over a gentle heat allow to cook and thicken, whisking continuously to cook out the flour.
  3. Remove it from the heat and beat in the chopped white chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and then pass the mixture through a sieve.
  4. Place in a bowl and put a piece of cling film directly on top of the mixture. Place in the fridge and allow to cool completely.

To make the berry compote:

  1. Add the berries to a pot. Sprinkle the sugar over the top and add the orange juice and zest.
  2. Bring the whole pot to a simmer and then turn down the heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes until the berries slightly soften.
  3. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl or container and allow to cool completely.

To make the pastry and assemble:

  1. Preheat oven to 190°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Dust a clean workbench with icing sugar and roll out the pastry to a 25cm x 30cm rectangle. Cut lengthways down the middle.
  3. Using a fork punch holes in one of the sheets and lightly score the other with the back of a knife to make a cross cross design.
  4. Transfer to the lined baking tray, dust the scored piece with caster sugar and bake for 19-20 minutes or until the surface is golden and risen. Cool slightly on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. To assemble the mille feuille, layer the pastry rectangle that you punched with the fork with the white chocolate cream. Drizzle with the lemon curd and berry compote.
  6. Garnish with the berries, lemon zest and nuts. Place the scored lid on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve on a platter.