Recipe: Raspberry and Chocolate Millefeuilles (Napoleons, using puff pastry)

RASPBERRY AND CHOCOLATE MILLEFEUILLES



1 lb puff pastry dough (frozen and thawed or homemade)
A bar of Valhrona or other good white chocolate
2 1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped
3 pints raspberries
Powdered sugar (for garnish)

Roll out the pastry on a floured surface to a large rectangle and trim to 18x12-inches. Cut it into three strips, each measuring 12x6-inches. Place each pastry strip on a baking sheet and leave to stand for 10 minutes (this is important, because puff pastry bruise easily and the standing time allows it to recover from the rolling out).

Then bake it in a preheated oven at 450 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until it is well-risen and golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Gently melt the white chocolate, either in a bowl set over boiling water or in a microwave. White chocolate burns very easily and will not temper, so be very careful with it.

TO ASSEMBLE THE MILLEFEUILLES:
Place one pastry rectangle on a plate and pour a layer of white chocolate over it. Spread with whipped cream and add a layer of raspberries. Place a second pastry rectangle on top and layer on more of the white chocolate, whipped cream, and raspberries. Place the final piece of pastry on top of this and decorate with the remaining chocolate, cream, and raspberries, this time arranging the raspberries in a nice pattern. Dust with powdered sugar.

Source: Two Fat Ladies Obsessions by Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright