Strawberry and macadamia mille-feuille

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Vanilla-infused strawberries and a macadamia nut praline add another dimension to Adam Byatt’s take on a classic mille-feuille dessert. This elegant layered pastry dish makes a perfect summer dessert and makes the most of deliciously ripe strawberries.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Vanilla strawberries

  • 400g of strawberries
  • 100ml of water
  • 100g of sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod

Crème diplomat

  • 6 egg yolks
  • 150g of sugar
  • 80g of plain flour
  • 550ml of whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, split with seeds scraped out and reserved
  • 400g of double cream, whipped to soft peaks

Macadamia praline

  • 100g of macadamia nuts, toasted
  • 200g of caster sugar

For the mille-feuille

  • 1 sheet of puff pastry
  • icing sugar, for dusting

Equipment

  • Piping bag with plain nozzle
  • 15cm pastry cutter

Method

1
For the crème diplomat, start by making a crème pâtissière. Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and flour
2
In a pan, bring the milk, vanilla pod and seeds up to the boil, then pour this over the yolk mixture whilst whisking continuously. Pour the mix into a clean pan and slowly cook out whilst continuing to whisk, as the custard needs to return to the boil. Once it reaches the boil, remove from the heat and chill until completely cold
  • 550ml of whole milk
  • 1 vanilla pod, split with seeds scraped out and reserved
3
Once cooled, pass the crème pâtissière through a sieve into a bowl. Measure out 400g of this and gently fold through the whipped cream. Store in a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle until ready to serve
  • 400g of double cream, whipped to soft peaks
4
For the strawberries, make a vanilla syrup by bringing the water and sugar to the boil with the vanilla pod and seeds, until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside and leave to cool
  • 100ml of water
  • 100g of sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod
5
Remove the green leaves and stalks from the strawberries and slice thinly, reserving a few whole strawberries for garnish. Vacuum pac the strawberries, or place in a resealable bag, with 100ml of the vanilla syrup. Set aside to infuse
6
To make the praline, place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed pan with a little water and heat, without stirring, to form a dark caramel (be brave with the colour, or the finished dish will be too sweet)
  • 200g of caster sugar
7
Stir in the toasted macadamia nuts and turn the mix out onto a silicone mat or baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Once set and cooled, finely chop the praline, making sure it is not too chunky
  • 100g of macadamia nuts, toasted
8
Roll the puff pastry through a pasta machine down to the thinnest setting (or roll very thinly by hand). Cut down into manageable sheets and leave to set in the freezer
  • 1 sheet of puff pastry
9
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
10
Once the pastry has set, cut out pastry discs using a 6 inch round cutter – you need at least 8 (2 for each dessert) with a few to spare in case of breakages
11
Dust the discs heavily with icing sugar and bake between two silicon baking mats or trays (to keep them flat) for approximately 12 minutes. Allow to cool and dust with some more icing sugar
  • icing sugar, for dusting
12
To assemble, place a circle of the vanilla strawberry slices on a serving plate, then pipe a ring of the crème diplomat around the edge
13
Fill the centre of the cream circle with a spoonful of the chopped praline and top with a pastry round. Repeat the layers and finish with a pastry disc and a final dusting of icing sugar. Garnish with the reserved strawberries and serve
First published in 2015

Adam Byatt is a creative and accomplished Michelin-starred chef with a passion for British food. Starting his career aged sixteen, Adam has earned a reputation for honest cooking designed to showcase the very best local produce

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