Bolton Bake Off star offers up a little cold comfort

I pronounce it meel-foil. I think it means "thousand layers" owing to the puff pastry element.

Mak's finished millefeuille

The secret of making millefeuille is keeping everything cold. This will aid the cutting, the piping and the apportioning. I must admit, this recipe is technical and to achieve the even shapes a bit of time spent on measurements using a tape measure will bring dividend.

The result will be a bona fide patisserie dessert that can grace the displays of even the best parisienne dessert shops.

Prep time: Approx two hours.

Cook time: 20 minutes.

Makes seven pieces.

Equipment: Two baking sheets 40cm x 30cm. Baking parchment. Piping bag. Balloon whisk.

For the pastry

Approx 500g ready rolled puff pastry. To cover one baking sheet

Two tbsp icing sugar

For the custard

400ml whole milk

Four egg yolks

25g cornflour

25g plain flour

100g caster sugar

Two tsp good quality vanilla extract

150ml double cream

Preparing the millefeuille filling

For the topping

125g icing sugar sifted

Seven tsp cold water

30g plain chocolate, melted

A slice of cake

Method

1. Lay baking parchment onto one baking sheet. Sift one tablespoon of icing sugar evenly over it.

Roll out the ready rolled puff pastry over the sugared parchment to cover the inside of the baking sheet.

Sprinkle another tablespoon of icing sugar over the top.

Lay another sheet of baking parchment over this.

Place the second baking sheet over the parchment and press firmly in place. This is to prevent the puff pastry expanding too much when cooked. You’ve basically sandwiched the puff pastry between sugared parchment. Place in the oven 180℃ for 20 minutes until golden.

2. Make the custard while the puff pastry is cooking. Set the milk to heat in a pan. Make sure it does not boil but is only just starting to. Take off heat.

3. In a bowl mix all the other custard ingredients together, except for the cream. It should be smooth. Slowly trickle the warm milk into this mixture and keep whisking with a balloon whisk.

Transfer everything back into the pan and on a medium heat let it come to the boil, whisking constantly.

The mixture will become thick but keep whisking. It may appear lumpy at first but the constant whisking will eventually make it smooth. Take off heat, cover with clingfilm and cool completely.

4. When the puff pastry is done, leave it to cool on a wire rack. Once cool, divide into three rectangular pieces, cutting from the short side. Use a measure tape and pizza cutter. Each rectangle will be approximately 36cm x 8cm.

5. Whisk the double cream to soft peaks. When the custard has cooled completely give it a dose of an electric whisk to loosen and smooth. Add the soft whipped cream to the custard and gently blend together. This is now called créme diplomat. Posh.

6. The iced topping. In a bowl sift 125g of icing sugar and add seven tsp of cold water.

The icing will be thick and not too runny. In the microwave melt the chocolate in 30-second bursts. Transfer the chocolate to a small parchment cone with a hole no more than 2mm.

Spread the icing on one of the puff pastry rectangles. Immediately run lines of the melted chocolate, along the length. With a cocktail stick create a feather effect.

7. Using a large piping bag with a half inch opening pipe divide the créme diplomat evenly onto the other two puff pastry rectangles. Construct the layers with the icing layer on top. Chill the block in the fridge for at least one hour. This will firm up the custard so you can cut it into small pieces.

8. Once completely chilled use a sharp serrated knife to cut into seven pieces, each piece 5cm wide.

Phew. Done.

The finished efforts

Serve chilled. These will keep in the fridge for a day or two, covered. I don’t make millefeuilles that often but they will get a look in every now and then, when I wish to brush up on my presentation and fine motor skills.

They are worth every minute.