Lemon Ricotta Mille Feuille (Print Version)

Golden puff pastry layers filled with silky lemon ricotta cream, dusted with powdered sugar for an elegant finish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Puff Pastry

01 - 1 sheet store-bought or homemade puff pastry, approximately 8.8 oz
02 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, for sprinkling

→ Lemon Ricotta Cream

03 - 8.8 oz whole-milk ricotta cheese, drained
04 - 3.4 fl oz heavy whipping cream, cold
05 - 1 medium lemon, zest and juice
06 - 2.1 oz powdered sugar, sifted
07 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Garnish

08 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
09 - Fresh lemon zest, for decoration

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
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 during baking.
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 cheese until completely smooth. Add the sifted powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, then mix thoroughly until well combined.
05 - In a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture in two additions, being careful not to deflate the cream. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
06 - Spread or pipe a generous layer of lemon ricotta cream onto six of the pastry rectangles. Place a second pastry rectangle on top of each to form the layered Napoleon-style stacks.
07 - Dust the top layer of each assembled mille feuille with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh lemon zest. Serve immediately to maintain maximum pastry crispness.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It sounds impossibly fancy but honestly the store bought puff pastry does most of the heavy lifting for you.
  • The lemon ricotta cream is tangy and light and tastes like something you would find at a tiny bakery you stumbled into on a side street in Rome.
02 -
  • That second baking tray on top during baking is not optional, skip it and your pastry will puff into unusable ballooned shapes that cannot be layered.
  • Assemble these as close to serving time as possible because the cream will soften the pastry within an hour and you will lose that gorgeous textural contrast.
03 -
  • Press down very gently when placing the top pastry layer because too much pressure will squeeze the cream out the sides and squish the delicate layers.
  • Use the finest holes on your sieve for dusting powdered sugar and tap it lightly rather than shaking hard for an even, professional looking finish.

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