This Christmas mille-feuille takes my trusted, fail-safe pastry method and transforms it into a showstopping seasonal dessert. Crisp, caramelised layers of puff pastry sandwich a silky Napoleon cream enriched with mincemeat, brandy and a whisper of warm spice—those nostalgic flavours that instantly signal the holidays. To brighten everything, spiked cranberries bring a burst of colour and tartness, cutting through the richness and giving each bite a lively, celebratory finish.
Though beautifully impressive on the plate, this mille-feuille is surprisingly achievable, especially when starting with ready-rolled pastry. The result is a dessert that feels both classic and joyfully festive, perfect for a special dinner, a Christmas Eve table, or a moment when you want something elegant without too much fuss. It serves four generously and looks as magical as it tastes.
Ingredients (Serves 4)
- 1 packet of ready rolled puff pastry, 320g
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
For the Napoleon cream
- 300ml full fat milk
- 50g sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 20g plain flour
- 20g corn flour
- 100g mincemeat
- 150ml double cream
- 30ml Metaxa or other brandy
For the spiked cranberries
- 100g fresh cranberries
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 orange, juice and zest of
- 30ml Metaxa or other brandy
Method
Start by making the spiked cranberries.
In a small saucepan heat the orange juice with the caster sugar, until melted. Add the cranberries, orange zest and brandy and cook for a few minutes, till soft but holding their shape. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/430°F/gas 7.
Unpack the pastry and lay onto a baking tin lined with either baking paper or a silicone mat. Spray the pastry with a little water and dust with half the icing sugar. Place the second mat or baking sheet over the pastry and top with the second baking tray.
Bake the pastry in the middle shelf of the oven for 15 minutes. Take it out of the oven, remove the top tray and turn the pastry over. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar, cover again, top with the second tray and bake for a further 10 minutes. When ready, it should be a deep golden colour. Leave the pastry to cool. Trim if necessary and cut into twelve equal pieces.
To make the Napoleon cream, heat the milk in a saucepan.
Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk till light and fluffy. Add the plain flour and the corn flour continuing whisking. Add the milk to the mix slowly while whisking all the time and return the whole thing back to the saucepan. Cook over low to medium heat stirring with a wooden spoon continuously to ensure a smooth, glossy cream. Transfer the cream to a blender, add the mincemeat and blitz to a very smooth puree. Transfer to a bowl and lay a piece of plastic wrap on its surface to stop it forming a skin.
In another bowl, beat the double cream with the brandy to the stage of soft peaks. When the thick custard is cool enough, fold the double cream into it. Mix it all gently and empty into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.
The 12 pieces of pastry should give you four mille-feuille of 3 pastry pieces each.
For each mille-feuille, lay a piece of pastry on a plate. Cut a small hole into the piping bag and pipe the cream in a zigzag movement covering all the surface of the pastry. Scatter a few cranberries and continue. Finish by sprinkling with pastry crumbs, icing sugar, fresh red currants and extra cranberries on the side.