The pie loving people over at Higgidy have got some very exciting news. You’ll have seen their range of pies, slices and quiches in the shops and now you can have a bash at making them yourself at home – that’s right, Higgidy have got a brand new cook book! As the resident teapigs bakers, myself and teapig Tori were very excited to get our hands on this recipe for dreamy millefeuilles. The ready made puff pastry means they are a doddle to make but you’ll get all the brownie points cos they look super fancy!
Just make your pastry hearts and choose one of the three fillings. Try our mao feng green with the raspberry and orange curd, our chai tea with the boozy black forest or our Darjeeling earl grey with the rose cream. That’s your perfect afternoon tea sorted!
Millefeuille 3 different ways
MAKES 12 HEARTS
Equipment: 1 x 7cm heart-shaped cutter (or make a template – see tip, below) 1 x 375g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry A little plain flour, for dusting 1 medium egg, lightly whisked 2 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting (optional) Ingredients to fill the hearts: see suggestions below:
Millefeuille is a French pastry made of many puff pastry layers. (‘Mille’ means a thousand, and ‘feuille’ means a leaf or sheet.) Making tiny pastries like this is a really pretty way to show off the buttery layers and the beautiful colour of the fillings. We’ve suggested hearts but you can make them any shape you like. This recipe is very simple to double up if you’re expecting lots of guests, and the unfilled pastry shapes can be frozen once baked if you want to make a batch of them in advance.
1 Preheat the oven to 220°C/fan 200°C/gas mark 7 and line a baking sheet with non-stick baking paper.
2 Unroll the pastry on to a lightly floured surface and roll it out a bit thinner, to about 3mm thick. Using your cutter or template (see tip), cut out 12 hearts or whatever shape you fancy. Place on the prepared baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Brush with beaten egg and bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes or until really crisp and golden.
3 Preheat the grill to medium-high. Dust the pastries with icing sugar, then place under the grill for a few seconds, watching them very carefully, until the sugar has caramelised.
4 Once cooled, use a sharp knife to split the pastry hearts into two layers, a top and a bottom. Now you are ready to make your filling.
Raspberry and Orange Curd
(Filling for 12 hearts)
Whisk 170ml double cream until just thickened. Mix in 3 tablespoons of Jaffa orange curd and a finely chopped ball of stem ginger. Spoon a layer of this orange cream over the bottom pastry layers, then add several fresh raspberries, pushing them gently into the cream, and a drizzle of ginger syrup (from the stem ginger jar). Top with the pastry hats. Sprinkle with icing sugar if you like.
Boozy Black Forest
(Filling for 12 hearts)
Make a chocolate custard by whisking 50g melted dark chocolate into 200g warmed ready-made custard. Leave in the fridge to thicken. Spoon a layer of the chocolate custard over the bottom pastry layers, then add a layer of black cherries in kirsch, along with a drizzle of the syrup and a good grating of dark chocolate. Top with the pastry hats and sprinkle with more grated chocolate if you like.
Rose Cream with Strawberries and Lime Zest
(Filling for 12 hearts)
Hull and quarter 200g strawberries, toss with the grated zest of 1 lime and 2 teaspoons of icing sugar and leave to macerate for 15 minutes. Whisk 170ml double cream to medium peaks with 1 tablespoon of icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of rose water. Spoon a layer of the rose cream over your bottom pastry layers, then add a layer of macerated strawberries. Top with the pastry hats. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar if you like.
Higgidy have very kindly offered 3 books to giveaway to teapigs fans to celebrate the launch, and entering is as easy as pie (see what we did there?!)
send an email to info@teapigs.co.uk with the following and you’ll be entered into the prize draw, easy peasey! (COMPETITION NOW CLOSED)
subject: Higgidy
name, address and contact number
terms and conditions - boring but important
o This competition closes at midnight on 26th September
o 3 names will be picked at random and notified within one week
o double entries will not be counted
Good luck everyone! If you’re not lucky enough to win, the Higgidy cookbook can be picked up in supermarkets, book shops and online :)
