Hazelnut and Vanilla Filo Millefeuille

Here is the recipe for the hazelnut and vanilla filo millefeuille that was a huge hit on Instagram. I discovered this incredible recipe while watching the second part of the show Le Meilleur Pâtissier last year (season 13). It’s the dessert that Aurélie made to try to win back her place in the tent, and the judges’ comments were so incredible that I wanted to recreate it. It’s made up of 3 discs of filo pastry, a hazelnut diplomat cream, a hazelnut praline and a vanilla chantilly cream.

What are the differences from Aurélie’s recipe?

Not being a big fan of mousseline cream (which I find too fatty and too compact), I replaced it with a hazelnut diplomat cream. It’s quite simply a pastry cream set with gelatine, into which whipped cream is folded to lighten the whole thing. This gives a delicate, silky cream that has a more airy and lighter texture thanks to the addition of whipped cream, which makes it less dense than mousseline. What’s more, it’s easier to make because it doesn’t require the technique of whipping with butter.

Of course, it all depends on your personal preferences, but keep in mind that if you’re looking for lightness and freshness for a pastry to be eaten quickly, the diplomat will be perfect. For a richer dessert that needs to hold up well, the mousseline will be more appropriate.

Why use filo pastry instead of puff pastry?

You probably know puff pastry for making millefeuilles. But have you thought about filo pastry? This very thin pastry, often used for savoury dishes, actually has real advantages for your desserts.

• You save time: With puff pastry, it takes hours to prepare. All those folds, those resting times… It takes ages! Filo pastry, you buy it ready-made. You just take it out of the packet and it bakes in 10-15 minutes. You have more time to take care of the cream.
• It’s much lighter: Filo pastry contains far less butter than puff pastry. Result: your desserts are lighter. You still get that crispy side we all love, but without that feeling of heaviness afterwards.
• You can make lots of different shapes: Filo pastry folds in every direction. You can make classic millefeuilles, but also little nests, roses, or even little parcels. It has no particular taste, so it goes with all your creams.
• It’s accessible even if you’re a beginner: No need to be a chef to succeed with filo pastry. A few simple tips and you’ll get beautiful results. It’s perfect if you want to impress without complicating your life.

How to work with filo pastry properly?

Here are my tips for handling this slightly delicate pastry well.

• Organising your work surface: Prepare everything before you start. Have to hand a pastry brush, your melted butter, a damp tea towel and your baking trays. Once you open the packet, you need to work fast because the pastry dries out quickly.
• Working sheet by sheet: Keep the unused sheets under a slightly damp tea towel. Take out one sheet, brush it with butter using the pastry brush, then lay the next one on top. For a millefeuille, allow 6-7 sheets per layer.
• Butter generously: Each sheet must be well coated with butter, but without creating puddles. The brush helps you spread it evenly. This is what will give the crispiness and the golden colour.
• Cut before baking: With a sharp knife, cut out your circle to the desired dimensions. It’s much easier before baking than after, when the pastry is crispy.
• Baking: Preheat your oven to 180°C. Bake for 20 minutes with a weight on the pastry so that it stays nice and flat. You can use another baking tray turned upside down or baking weights. Keep a close eye on the colour: it must be nicely golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack to prevent the underside from going soft.