Although there are many varieties of mille feuille pastries from different cultures, this Tompouce is the Dutch version. It features two layers of flaky pastry sandwiched around thick pastry cream filling. Its pink (or sometimes orange) glaze provides a unique aesthetic and a sweet finish.
1drop (or as needed) red, pink, or orange food coloring(or a combination of red and yellow to make orange)
Instructions
In a large saucepan or small pot, beat the egg yolks together, then slowly add the milk beating until smooth. Add the sugar and cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
Heat the pan over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture is very thick and easily coats the back of a spoon and/or reaches a temperature of 180°F/80°C with an instant read thermometer, about 10 to 12 minutes total.
Remove from the heat, whisk in the vanilla until smooth, then use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture into a medium mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic against the surface of the custard so it doesn’t form a skin. Let it cool completely in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Place the puff pastry sheet on a parchment paper lined baking sheet (roll out to adjust dimensions if needed) and prick the top with the tines of a fork. Bake for about 20 to 24 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. If it puffs up too much at the start of baking, use a fork to deflate it, and lightly press it back down to flatten. Set aside to cool.
Cut the baked puff pastry sheet in half using a serrated knife. It should be roughly 9 by 6 inches after halving (the exact dimensions will vary by puff pastry brand!). One half will be the bottom and one will be the top.
Place one cooled puff pastry sheet half on a large cutting board. Invert the other baked puff pastry half (so the flatter side is facing up). Use a serrated knife to cut the inverted half into 8 rectangles, roughly 1 ½ by 4 ½ inches. Leave the cut rectangles in the same arrangement and set aside. Pre-cutting them now will make it easier to portion your tompouce later.
Vigorously whisk the cooled custard to loosen it up, then pipe or spread it over the intact baked puff pastry half and smooth out the top. Arrange the cut pieces of baked puff pastry over the top (the flat side should be facing up and the edges should be touching). Lightly press so they are all flat and even. If any custard squeezes out of the sides, use an offset spatula to smooth it out.
Make the glaze by whisking together the confectioners’ sugar, water, and food coloring. Pour the glaze over the top of the assembled pastry and spread it out in an even layer using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Using the pre-cut top layer of pastry as a guide, use a sharp knife to cut through the layers until the entire pastry has been sliced into pieces. Carefully wipe off the blade between cuts for super clean slices. Allow the glaze set a bit before serving or serve immediately.
Notes
This is best served the day it is made or at the most within 1 day of assembly. On subsequent days the pastry will begin to soften. Store leftover slices covered with foil in the refrigerator. Putting it in a plastic container will soften the pastry more rapidly.
I like to pre-cut the top layer of baked puff pastry. This makes it easier to cut the tompouce into rectangles with minimal mess and potential squishing. I use the same technique with my Cremeschnitten. That being said, because these Dutch pastries are topped with glaze at the end, inevitably, some of the glaze will seep into those pre-made cuts. I don't mind a little pink glaze getting in there, but here are a few alternative glazing options:
Glaze the entire top half of the pastry before cutting it into rectangles. Let it dry thoroughly, then cut it as directed. Finally, top the cream-covered bottom pastry layer with the glazed and cut tops, and finish cutting into rectangles.
Cut your assembled pastries into rectangles and then, one-by-one, top each rectangle with glaze. This could get messy unless you were to pipe the glaze onto the tops (in which case make extra glaze to ensure you have enough!).
Cut your assembled pastries, then carefully remove the tops, glaze them and then return them to their bottoms.