mille-feuille-roast-strawberries-mascarpone.png
These irresistible desserts are easy to make, look gorgeous and are fantastic for rounding off a romantic Valentine’s day meal.
Prep time 30 minutes/Cook time 70 minutes/Makes 10
Ingredients:
2 x 375g (13 ½ oz) frozen Puff Pastry sheets, thawed
250g (1 ¼ cups) caster sugar
3 eggs
1kg (4 cups) mascarpone
2 vanilla pods
2 x 250g (9 oz) punnets of strawberries, hulled, larger ones halved
Method:
Pre-heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/Gas mark 6). Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Cut each pastry sheet into 10 rectangles and arrange in a single layer on the baking trays. Cover with another sheet of baking paper, then sit another baking tray over the top to weigh down the pastry while cooking. Transfer to your pre-heated oven and bake, swapping the trays halfway, for 35-40 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Keep the oven on.
Meanwhile, combine 200g (1 cup) caster sugar and 250ml (1 cup) water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to 120°C (250°F) on a sugar thermometer.
Whisk the eggs in a stand mixer until thick and pale. With the motor running, gradually pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg mixture as a thin, steady, stream. Continue whisking for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is completely cooled and glossy.
In the meantime, arrange the strawberries on a baking tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle over the remaining 50g (1/4 cup) sugar. Split one vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds. Add the split pod, scraped seeds and the whole vanilla pod to the strawberries, and toss to combine. Transfer to your oven and roast the strawberries for 15 minutes or until softened and syrupy. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
When ready to serve, transfer the mascarpone mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm (1/2 in) plain nozzle. Sit half the pastry rectangles on serving dishes and pipe a layer of mascarpone over the top in small mounds. Add a few strawberries and syrup, then top with another sheet of pastry and repeat with mascarpone mixture and strawberries.
Serve immediately.
