The SWEET PUFF PASTRIES WITH MILK CREAM is a delicious 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 generally adore it. If you wish, you can also decorate it with fresh fruit, especially strawberries, which pair wonderfully with the milk cream.
Preparing this dessert is really simple and fast. The only step on the stove, which is very quick, is to properly thicken the milk cream, which will then need to rest in the refrigerator for a few hours to cool well and be ready to use. Assembling the dessert does not require particular care: use good puff pastry cookies (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 puff pastry…
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 4 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 packages sweet puff pastry cookies
- 3 oz dark chocolate chips (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 2/3 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (maizena)
- 1 tsp millefiori (wildflower) honey
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Tools
- 1 Loaf pan
- 1 Saucepan
- 2 Bowls
- Electric whisk (beaters)
- 1 Spatula
- Plastic wrap
Steps
Making the SWEET PUFF PASTRIES WITH MILK CREAM is really very easy.
Pour 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) of milk into a small saucepan with the sugar and the vanilla (the seeds if you are using a pod). Place everything over low heat and, stirring, bring it to just below boiling.
In another bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining cold milk (about 1/3 cup / 100 ml). When the milk on the heat begins to simmer, add the milk in which you dissolved the cornstarch, add the honey and, stirring constantly, allow everything to thicken.
Once it is thick and smooth, turn off the heat and pour the cream obtained into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and let the milk cream cool well to room temperature and, once cold, place it in the refrigerator.
Whip the very cold cream straight from the fridge — the beaters and bowl should also be cold — together with the powdered sugar. Take the milk cream back from the refrigerator and work it with the beaters to make it smooth and soft again.
Fold the whipped cream into the milk cream, a little at a time, and gently incorporate the two mixtures using a spatula with soft 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, like a tiramisu).
Make a layer of puff pastries, placing the decorated side facing down, and cover with a layer of cream. Continue layering until the ingredients are used up. Reserve some cream for decoration.
Cover with more plastic wrap and transfer the sweet puff pastries with milk cream to the refrigerator to firm up for at least 2 hours.
Unmold the dessert onto a serving plate and decorate by making dollops of cream and finishing with crumbled puff pastries.
