Milhojas de Crema con Mango y Coco
Milhojas, or “thousand leaves,” is the name given to this pastry because, just as in the fall, when the autumn leaves trickle down and move as the wind blows, tiny pieces of this crunchy, flaky pastry fly around when you take a bite of it. This recipe is one example where the French influence in Mexico began to be very apparent during the rule of Porfirio Díaz at the beginning of the twentieth century, and a love for classic French pastries has remained part of our tradition ever since. Milhojas have remained a favorite dessert and are found all over Mexico in many pastry shops and bread bakeries. As with many other desserts, they are often sold by the slice. Although milhojas are often filled with jams, mousses, and whipped cream, this one is layered with pastry cream, which I find to be the most representative one of all. The addition of mangoes and coconut gives it a nice freshness and tropical flavor. Traditional puff pastry is a bit time-consuming to prepare, so I have provided a quick “mock” version that will work very well when you don’t have the time or patience required to make the real deal.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Quick Puff Pastry
Pastry Cream
Whipped Cream
Preparation
Step 1
TO MAKE THE QUICK PUFF PASTRY, combine the flour and salt in a medium-size bowl. Blend the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or a food processor until it resembles coarse meal. Add about 4 ounces of the water and mix until it just comes together. Add a little more of the remaining water if needed, but don’t overmix. Flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into an 18 by 15-inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick, making sure the edges are smooth and straight. Turn the rectangle so that the longest side is closest to you. Fold both sides into the center and then fold in half like a book. Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll again into a rectangle of the same size as before. Fold the same way as before, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Step 4
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle the size of your baking sheet. Cut lengthwise into 3 even pieces. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the pastry is golden all over, 20 to 25 minutes, remove from the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Dust some sifted confectioner’s sugar all over the top and bake until the sugar melts and looks caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes. This will make the pastry a little crunchier and will form a shield so that the cream won’t make it soggy as quickly.
Step 5
TO MAKE THE PASTRY CREAM, combine the milk, scraped vanilla bean, and pod in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, combine the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and cornstarch in a heatproof bowl. Gradually whisk half of the hot milk mixture into the egg-yolk mixture, then carefully return everything to the saucepan. Continue whisking over medium heat until thick and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, whisk in the butter, and remove and discard the vanilla pod. Pour into a heatproof bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top. Let chill completely in the refrigerator (the pastry cream can be made up to 2 days in advance and simply needs to be whisked well before using).
Step 6
TO MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer or by hand until slightly thickened. Add the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla and continue beating until thickened but not stiff, 5 to 7 minutes. Fold the whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream until well blended. Transfer 1 cup of the mixture to a separate bowl and reserve.
Step 7
Turn a baking sheet upside down, place one pastry layer on top, carefully spread half of the remaining cream mixture all over, place another pastry layer on top, and press down gently. Spread the remaining cream mixture on top. Arrange the mango slices on top of the cream and finish with the remaining pastry layer. Press down gently. Cover the sides with the reserved cream mixture, smoothing it out while tilting the pan slightly and carefully, then sprinkle all over with the toasted coconut. If desired, dust with confectioner’s sugar in 1-inch diagonal lines (make a quick stencil out of cardboard or plastic). Refrigerate for 30 to 45 minutes before slicing and serving.
