Scarlett WMillefoglie Alla Crema (Thousand-layer Cake)
April 15th 2008 16:02
Millefoglie Alla Crema (Thousand-layer Cake)
About Marsala wine
Marsala is the name for a wine produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala I Sicily. Marsala wine has Denominazione di origine controllate, or DOC, status.
About Millefoglie
Millefoglie means ‘thousand sheets’, is a pastry made of several layers of puff pastry alternating with a sweet filling, typically pastry cream, but sometimes whipped cream, or jam. It is usually glazed with royal icing or fondant in alternative white and brown (chocolate) strips, and combed.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6-8
1 quantity flaky pastry
3 egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup Marsala wine
⅔ cup heavy cream
1 cup almond shavings
For the glaze
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons butter
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
About 2 cups boiling water
For 1 quantity flaky pastry
4 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt
1 cup (approx) cold water
2 cups butter, at room temperature
1 egg white
1. To prepare the puff pastry, place 3 cups of sifted flour on a clean work surface. Make a well in the center. Dissolve the sugar and salt in the water and gradually work in enough of the water to make a smooth dough. Wrap in a clean cloth and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the remaining flour on a clean work surface and combine the butter with the egg white. When smooth and well mixed, shape into a rectangle, wrap in a cloth, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
3. Remove both doughs from the refrigerator. Unwrap, and place the flour-and-water dough on a lightly floured work surface.
4. Using a well-floured rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large square shape.
5. Place the flour-and-butter mixture in the center of the pastry and fold the edges over it.
6. Roll into a rectangular shape about 1 inch thick. Wrap the dough carefully in a clean cloth and chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
7. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about ½ inch thick. Flatten it, using gentle strokes of the rolling-pin. Continue rolling, making sure that the rolling-pin always moves in the same direction, from the center to the edges. Never roll twice in exactly the same place. Fold the dough over on itself to form a slab consisting of three equal folds, then roll it out in the other direction and fold into three again. Refrigerate the dough again for 20 minutes.
8. Repeat the folding, turning, and chilling 4 times.
9. After the last time, the dough can be used in the recipes that follow or frozen for later use.
10. Preheat the oven to 380ºF.
11. Roll the pastry out into 4 very thin sheets of equal size. Place on baking sheets, prick well with a fork, and bake for about 20minutes, or until golden brown.
12. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a saucepan until pale and creamy.
13. Stir in the Marsala and place the saucepan in a larger pan of simmering water over low heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until the cream is smooth and thick.
14. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool.
15. Whip the cream and fold it carefully into the cooled egg mixture.
16. Place 1 sheet of cooled pastry on a large serving platter and cover with one-third of the cream.
17. Cover with another sheet of pastry and layer of cream.
18. Repeat, and cover with the fourth sheet of pastry.
19. For the glaze. Place the confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl with the butter and vanilla extract. Stir in enough and boiling water to make a thick glaze.
20. Spread over the top sheet of pastry.
21. Sprinkle with the almonds.
22. Serve as soon as possible so that the pastry doesn’t have time to become soggy.
**From “The Encyclopedia of Italian Cooking” and “Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia”**
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