Mille Feuille With Vanilla Pastry Cream And Bourbon Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment or a baking mat.
• Unfold the pastry, roll it to a 12-by-15-inch rectangle and cut into three 12-by-5-inch rectangles. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Prick the pastry and chill for 10 minutes in the freezer or 20 in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Dust the pastry with powdered sugar (this will ensure the pastry caramelizes when cooked). Bake until golden brown and risen, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.
• In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the powdered sugar, mascarpone, cream and vanilla seeds and whisk until soft peaks form. Add the raspberry liqueur and lemon zest and turn on the mixer for 10 seconds to combine the ingredients.
• To assemble: Place a dab of the whipped cream on the serving plate to anchor the mille-feuille. Place one piece of pastry onto the plate glaze-side down. Spoon over half of the whipped cream, smoothing out the top. Arrange half of the fresh raspberries on top of the cream in rows, then top with another sheet of pastry, again glaze-side down. Top the second sheet of pastry with the remaining cream and raspberries. Add the last piece of pastry glaze-side up and liberally dust with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line an 18-by-13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Have another 18-by-13-inch baking sheet and piece of parchment on hand.
• Roll out the puff pastry to a 12-by-15-inch rectangle. Cut in three equal rectangles, about 12 by 5 inches each. Dock all over with a fork to suppress the puff pastry's rise in the oven. Transfer the pieces to the prepared baking sheet, cover with the other sheet of parchment and top with the second baking sheet. Bake until the flour structure has set and the pastry looks light golden and flaky, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the top baking sheet and piece of parchment and return to the oven until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes more. Cool completely on a baking rack.
• Meanwhile, combine the granulated sugar, salt, vanilla and 2 1/2 cups of the milk in a large saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edges. While the milk is warming, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, eggs and remaining 1/2 cup milk in a large bowl.
• Temper the egg mixture with the hot milk mixture, adding a ladleful to the egg mixture at a time, whisking the whole time. Once you've added two-thirds of the milk mixture to the egg mixture, pour it back into the pan and cook on medium heat, whisking constantly. Once the mixture thickens and comes to boil, stir vigorously and count to 60. Remove from the heat.
• Pass the pastry cream through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then stir in the butter and Scotch. Cool over an ice bath, stirring occasionally, until the pastry cream reaches room temperature. Transfer the pastry cream to a pastry bag fitted with a medium round tip. (Or, if not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap onto the surface of the pastry cream to keep a skin from forming.)
• Whip the cream in a medium bowl with a hand mixer or balloon whisk until medium-stiff peaks form. Put the whipped cream in a separate pastry bag with a medium round tip.
• Trim the cooled puff pastry carefully with a serrated bread knife to produce three identical pieces. Then, slice the long rectangle pieces crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
• Line up a third of the pieces to form the first layer of the mille-feuille, like a puzzle. Pipe dots of pastry cream on the first layer. Top with the next layer of pastry. Pipe dots of whipped cream on the second layer of pastry. Line up the pieces of pastry for the final layer on a baking sheet. Dust the top with the confectioners' sugar, covering the pastry completely. Torch the top, being careful not to burn the sugar. Dust with a second layer of confectioner's sugar and torch again. Sprinkle with the smoked salt, and allow the pastry to cool before handling, about 3 minutes. Top the mille-feuille with the final layer of bruleed pastry. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat, for about 1 minute or until the surface of the pan is uniformly hot. Pat the chops dry, and season the chops on one side with salt and pepper. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the chops seasoned side down and cook until the chops are brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the butter and cook for 1 minute more. Season the top side of the chops, and turn the chops over. Continue cooking until firm and an instant-read thermometer registers 140 degrees F, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer the chops to a plate, tent with foil and set aside to rest.
• Pour off any fat remaining in the skillet. Pull the pan from the heat and carefully add the bourbon. Return the pan to the heat and tip the pan slightly to ignite the alcohol. Cook until reduced by half then add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 3 minutes, then whisk in the mustard and the cream. Simmer the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, about 1 to 2 minutes more. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve with the pork chops.
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