Easy Mille-feuille with Peach & Raspberry

This easy mille-feuille with peach and raspberry is a great cheats mille-feuille as it can be made in next to no time. I love the flavour combination of peach and raspberry, they work really well together in this impressive looking peach melba dessert.

This peach and raspberry dessert is really quick and simple. It's one of those easy dessert recipes that has me wondering "why don't I make this more often?" Crispy puff pastry sheets are layered up with mascarpone vanilla cream, fresh raspberries and sliced peaches.

For ease I've used a sheet of ready rolled puff pastry, if it's ok for Mary Berry, it's ok for me. Pastry making is simply not my thing, and I avoid recipes that insist I make my own. Sure that's great when time allows, but at other times it is absolutely fine to use ready made pastry (be that puff or shortcrust pastry).

I love to use fruits when they are at their seasonal best, but am more than happy to swap fresh fruit for tinned out of season. I love peaches over the summer months, but over the winter they are just too hard, so I swap fresh for jarred or canned peaches which work a treat.

Why you'll love this recipe

• This recipe is adaptable I've used fresh raspberries and a jar of peaches in brandy. Feel free to experiment and use the fruit flavours you enjoy.
• Make ahead by preparing the pastry and the mascarpone cream ahead of time, then storing separately until you are ready to layer up the dessert.
• Feed a crowd as this recipe is really easy to double up.

Recipe ingredients

• Pastry: for ease I like to use a sheet ready roll puff pastry. However, if you prefer to make your own please feel free to do so.
• Cream filling: I combine mascarpone cheese with double cream (heavy cream) for the cream filling. I sweeten the filling with icing sugar (powdered sugar) and some vanilla extract for flavour.
• Peaches: I used a jar peaches in brandy syrup which I drained and sliced up. You can also use regular tinned peaches or fresh peaches when they are in season.
• Raspberries: I prefer to use fresh raspberries as I find frozen or tinned raspberries too wet in this recipe.
• Amarettie biscuits: I crush small amaretti biscuits and crumble over the top to garnish the peaches.

How to make mille-feuille

• Preheat oven to 200C/180CFan/390F. Line a baking sheet with baking paper or use a silicone mat.
• Roll out the puff pastry and slice into half vertically and then slice each strip into rectangles - so you end up with 8 rectangles. (This recipe serves 4 but you can make them smaller if you choose).
• Place the rectangles of pastry on the lined baking sheet and then top with a layer of baking parchment. Now lay another baking baking sheet on top, weighted down with more trays so the pastry bakes flat.
• Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and set the pastry aside on a wire rack to cool completely.

• While the pastry is cooling, place the mascarpone cheese, double cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract into a large bowl and whisk using a hand mixer until the mixture thickens and is ready to pipe.
• Place the mascarpone mixture into a piping bag.

• To assemble the peach melba, start with a sheet of pastry, then using a piping bag, pipe kisses of the marscapone cream over the pastry. Top the cream with a layer of raspberries.
• Add another layer of pastry and top again with piped cream.

• Drain the peaches well and slice thinly. Add a final layer of peaches on top of the piped cream.
• Finally scatter over the crushed amaretti biscuits and drizzle over some syrup from the peaches, if using jarred or tinned peaches. Serve immediately.

Recipe variations

The recipe is easily adapted, here are some ideas:

• I've gone with 2 layers of pastry to keep things a little lighter, but feel free to top with a third layer and top that sheet with a glaze or icing.
• You can use any variety of fresh fruits and berries, in the summer I'll make this with a mixture of fresh berries or fresh stone fruits.
• Don't shy away from using jarred or tinned fruits, they are a great substitute when fruits are out of season. I used a jar of peaches in brandy to make this dessert and used a little of the brandy syrup to drizzle over the top before serving.
• I've flavoured the mascarpone cream with vanilla extract, but you can swap that for almond or orange extract if you prefer.

Useful hints and tips

1. It is really important to weight down the pastry when baking in the oven, otherwise the pastry will puff up and you won't get that flat sheet of crisp pastry.
2. Once baked, allow the pastry to cool completely before layering up with the mascarpone cream mixture. If the pastry if warm it will only melt the cream.
3. You can prepare the puff pastry rectangles up to 2 days in advance and keep in an airtight container ready for use when guests arrive.
4. You can also make the mascarpone cream the day before and keep in an airtight container in the fridge and whisk through when ready to use.
5. Storage: This dessert is best served once it has been layered up as the cream will start to flatten a little. However, if storing, you can do so in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 days.
6. Allergy advice: soya free and nut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.

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Additional recipe suggestions

If you like this recipe then try some of my favorite easy dessert recipes:

• 4 Ingredient Strawberry Mousse
• Strawberry Eton Mess
• Scottish Cranachan
• No Bake Lime & Ginger Cheesecake
  • No Bake Chocolate Orange Cheesecake