Lemon Ricotta Puff Mille Feuille (Printable)
Crispy puff pastry layers filled with luscious lemon ricotta cream and dusted with powdered sugar.
# What You Need:
→ Puff Pastry
01 - 1 sheet store-bought or homemade puff pastry, approximately 9 oz
02 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for sprinkling
→ Lemon Ricotta Cream
03 - 9 oz whole-milk ricotta cheese
04 - 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
05 - 1 large lemon, zest and juice
06 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Garnish
08 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
09 - Fresh lemon zest, for decoration (optional)
# How-To:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
02 - Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 equal rectangles. Arrange the rectangles on the prepared tray, sprinkle evenly with granulated sugar, then place a second sheet of parchment paper and another baking tray on top to prevent excessive puffing.
03 - Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
04 - In a mixing bowl, whisk the ricotta until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, then mix thoroughly until well combined.
05 - In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture in two additions until fully incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
06 - Spread or pipe a generous layer of lemon ricotta cream onto six of the pastry rectangles, then place a second rectangle on top of each to form the layered mille feuille.
07 - Dust the top layer of each assembled mille feuille with powdered sugar and finish with a touch of fresh lemon zest. Serve immediately for the best texture contrast.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The contrast between shatteringly crisp pastry and cloud soft ricotta cream is the kind of texture trick that makes people close their eyes when they take a bite.
- It looks like it came from a Parisian bakery window, but the whole thing comes together in under an hour with ingredients you probably already have.
02 -
- That second baking tray on top is not optional. I skipped it once and ended up with puffy domes instead of flat, stackable layers.
- Assemble these at the very last minute. The pastry starts softening within thirty minutes of contact with the cream, so have everything else ready before you build.
03 -
- Always taste your lemon before committing to the full amount of juice, because some are wildly sour and others are almost sweet. Adjust accordingly.
- Freeze the assembled mille feuille for ten minutes before serving if you want cleaner edges on the cream layers.