1:02in productionCh. 1 · What the dish is and where it came from/ 1:02 · ceiling 15 min
Dishes · Food history
Mille-feuille
A French dessert of layered puff pastry and pastry cream, known by many names across Europe and North America.
A mille-feuille is a French dessert made of puff pastry layered with pastry cream. It is also called Napoleon in Russia and North America, and vanilla slice or custard slice in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
A mille-feuille is a French dessert made of puff pastry layered with pastry cream.
0:15
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
Three layers of puff pastry alternate with two layers of pastry cream.
0:20
What it gets right
It delivers crisp pastry and rich cream in balanced proportion.
0:30
What it does not
It does not reflect the 18th-century version, which used jam and marmalade instead of pastry cream.
0:36
What it changed
A caramel-coated variation called 'Szegediner Torte' exists in Hungary, where the form is attributed to Szeged.
0:42
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for people who enjoy structured desserts with puff pastry and pastry cream.
0:52
Is it worth your time
Worth trying if you enjoy the combination of puff pastry and cream.
Worth your time?
Selectively. Start with the brief, then cook the parts we point at.
What works
It delivers crisp pastry and rich cream in balanced proportion. The defined layering and named components—puff pastry and crème pâtissière—create a clear, repeatable structure.
What does not
It does not reflect the 18th-century version, which used jam and marmalade instead of pastry cream.
Cook it if
Skip it if
The written brief1 min read
What the dish is and where it came from
A mille-feuille is a French dessert made of puff pastry layered with pastry cream. It is also called Napoleon in Russia and North America, and vanilla slice or custard slice in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
How it works, in terms someone would actually use
Three layers of puff pastry alternate with two layers of pastry cream.
What it gets right
It delivers crisp pastry and rich cream in balanced proportion. The defined layering and named components—puff pastry and crème pâtissière—create a clear, repeatable structure.
What it does not
It does not reflect the 18th-century version, which used jam and marmalade instead of pastry cream.
What it changed
A caramel-coated variation called ‘Szegediner Torte’ exists in Hungary, where the form is attributed to Szeged.
Who it is for, and who it is not
It is for people who enjoy structured desserts with puff pastry and pastry cream. It is not for those avoiding dairy-based cream or refined wheat pastry.
Is it worth your time
Worth trying if you enjoy the combination of puff pastry and cream. The familiar layered form makes the filling an important part of the choice.