Paris is simultaneously exhilarating and intimidating. I am searching for words to describe what it felt like to be there for a few days this summer and am a little at a loss. Minus those times when the 6 yo and 3 yo both wanted to sit in the stroller, that experience I have words for, but I do like to keep it PG here. Let’s revert to the positive shall we? Although I thought I knew what to expect I really did not. Not with the city, or the monuments (hello Eiffel Tower, you are ginormous) or the patisseries. They’re everywhere. As a home baker that sheer amount of talent astounds me. How is it possible I wonder for so many gifted people to reside in one city and produce this endless array of perfection. I am still not entirely sure. There are self taught bakers who are artists, those who are perfectionists, those who are scientists. I fall in none of those categories so for me the Parisian desserts I saw are out of reach. Could I possibly make some? Perhaps. But the reality is I don’t want to. I admire it immensely but it is not who I am. This is all to say that if I can make a french pastry with a fancy name like Mille Feuille (pronounced meel-foy) so can you. Traditionally it is made with layers of from scratch puff pastry, a vanilla patisserie cream, whipped cream and often a glaze. Clearly I am not a traditional girl. This Chocolate & Cream Mille Feuille is made with store bought puff pastry, an easy chocolate pastry cream and whipped cream gussied up with hazelnut extract. I layered up this beauty, sifted over some powdered sugar and scattered some raspberries over top because adding fruit makes it healthy. Start to finish this Chocolate & Cream Mille Feuille took less than 40 minutes to put together, and it looked and tasted beautiful. Now that folks, is my kind of dessert. The Chocolate pastry cream is a simple one, made using cocoa powder and boosted with semi sweet chocolate. While I added a few drops of Hazelnut emulsion to flavor the cream, I have made it in the past with vanilla extract to very good effect. Depending on your preference you can make two larger Chocolate & Cream Mille Feuilles or 10 small ones with a little of the fillings left over for “tasting”.
