The PUFF PASTRY AND MILK CREAM DESSERT is a delightful dessert that can be prepared very quickly and served on many occasions, from the end of a Sunday lunch to a birthday party. Because of its delicacy and creaminess it is particularly suitable for children, who usually adore it. If you wish, you can also decorate it with fresh fruit, especially strawberries, which go wonderfully with the milk cream.
Making this dessert is really simple and fast. The only step on the stove, which is very quick, is to thicken the milk cream properly, which then needs to rest a few hours in the refrigerator to cool completely and be ready to use. Assembling the dessert does not require particular care: use good puff pastries (there are excellent ones in all supermarkets) and have fun decorating as you like. A small tip: assemble the dessert not too long before serving because, although the puff pastries are caramelized, they tend to lose their crispness when in contact with the cream. It would be a shame not to enjoy, along with the creaminess of the dessert, the typical “crunch” of a good flaky pastry…
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Cooking time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 packages sweet puff pastries
- 3 oz dark chocolate chips
- 1 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch (Maizena)
- 1 teaspoon wildflower honey
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Loaf pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 2 Bowls
- Electric whisks
- 1 Spatula
- Plastic wrap
Steps
Making the PUFF PASTRY AND MILK CREAM DESSERT is really very easy.
Pour 300 g (about 1 1/4 cups) of milk into a saucepan with the sugar and the vanilla (the seeds if you use a vanilla pod). Put everything over low heat and, stirring, bring it to just under a boil.
In another bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining cold milk (about 100 g, roughly 1/3 cup). When the milk on the heat starts to simmer, add the milk in which you dissolved the cornstarch, add the honey and, stirring constantly, let it thicken.
Once it becomes thick and smooth, turn off the heat and pour the resulting cream into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and let the milk cream cool well to room temperature; once cold place it in the refrigerator.
Whip the heavy cream well chilled from the fridge — the beaters and bowl should be cold too — with the powdered sugar. Take the milk cream back from the refrigerator and beat it with the whisks to make it smooth and soft again.
Fold the whipped cream into the milk cream, a little at a time, and gently combine the two mixtures using a spatula with delicate upward motions. You should obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream. Add the chocolate chips, fold them in and place the cream in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap (alternatively you can assemble the dessert in a baking dish, as if it were a tiramisu).
Make a layer of puff pastries, placing the decorated side down, and cover with a layer of cream. Continue layering until you finish the ingredients. Keep some cream aside for decoration.
Cover with more plastic wrap and transfer the puff pastry and milk cream dessert to the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours.
Unmold the dessert onto a serving plate and decorate by piping dollops of cream and finishing with crumbled puff pastries.
