Ingredients Custard & Pastry:

• 2 x Puff Pastry Sheets

• 1 x Vanilla Bean (Or paste)

• 1 Cup of Milk

• 3 x Cup of Thick Cream

• 3 x Egg Yolks

• 5o g Butter

• 3/4 Cup Corn Flour

• 1/2 Cup of Custard Powder

• 1 cup of Caster Sugar or reduce by 1/3 for less sugary Custard

For the Royal Icing and Decoration:

• 80 grams bittersweet chocolate, melted

• 2 large egg whites, room temperature

• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

• 350 grams confectioners' sugar

Step 1 (Preparation)

Pre-heat oven to 210° C

Line 23 cm pan with foil

Enough foil to go up the sides and allow slice to be lifted out of the pan

Step 2 (Bake the Pastry)

Line a backing tray with non-stick baking paper

Place both sheets on top, placing another sheet of non-stick baking paper on top place another baking tray on top, to weigh the bottom tray with pastry down - this will prevent the pastry from rising unevenly.

Bake for 8 - 10 min untill golden brown.

Step 3 (Trim the pastry to fit if necessary)

Brown side up, trim cooled pastry to fit in 23cm pan (One sheet for the bottom and one sheet for the top. - place to bottom trimmed sheet in the pan

Step 4 (Make the custard filling)

Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean out and add bean and seeds to milk to infuse

Warm milk gently, set aside for 10 min

Step 5 (Thicken up the flavoured milk)

Starch can only be mixed with cold or room temperature fluid or it will form lumps

Place Custard powder, caster sugar & cornflour in a sauce pan
Strain a small amount of room temperature infused milk into the dry ingredients - mix until smooth.

Strain remainder of the infused milk into the starch and sugar mix until smooth.

Add Cream and return to heat - stir constantly, until boiling and thick

Add butter while stirring, combine well

Remove from the heat, while warm not boiling whisk in the egg yolks one by one until smooth (to hot and the egg yolks will cook before being combined to cool and the egg yolks will not properly cook in the warm mixture.

Step 6 (Assemble the Mille-feuille)

After letting the enriched custard slightly cool, pour mixture in the pan on top of the bottom pastry.
Cook for a further 5 min, place the top pastry, brown side facing up ontop of the custard.

Cover with cling Wrap - refrigerate over night.

Step 7 (Decorate)

Remove the Set custard out of the tin and place on a cooling rack over a bake sheet when ready to decorate.

Reduce the sweetness by just dusting with icing sugar or do a traditional decoration as below

1. Make royal icing (You can buy the 'Royal icing mix' or make from scratch)

   1. Beat lemon juice, egg whites and confectioners sugar (pure icing sugar) on low until smooth 7 - 10 min

   2. Consistency when drizzling from beaters, should sit on surface for a second or two before disappearing (Adjust with icing sugar or water if needed)

2. Melt the dark chocolate on a low heat - this step should be done in conjunction with the top step to have both ready to go simultaneously
   1. Pour the melted dark chocolate into a piping bag with thin nozzle

3. Spread the Royal Icing over the top of the pastry with a spatula work fast before the icing sets

4. Next draw evenly spaced lines across the lengh of the Mille-feuille

5. Using a toothpick or knife draw lines evenly spaced in the opposite direction

6. One vary between down and up to form a chevron pattern

Step 8 (Cool down before cutting for neat slices)

1. Freeze before cutting for 30 min

2. Use a non-serrated very sharp long and large knife - working on a flat surface even the edges to make a perfect rectangle.

3. Return to refrigeration if not consuming mediately

4. Cut in slices and serve with an afternoon beverage, such as tea, coffee or home made lemonade.

Custard slices can be frozen for 3 to six months max and should be consumed with in 72 hours refrigerated. (Puff pastry will absorb the moisture from the custard - it will become less crispy with every day passing)

Reference: Taste.com.au and thespruceeats.com; Photo: Shutterstock