Pumpkin Mille-feuille

Dany Ludvíková
Nov 14, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Jan 10

Mille-feuille has a special place in my heart. The first time I made it was during my time working in the pastry section of a Michelin-starred restaurant in Birmingham. Back then, our version was filled with pear crémeux, delicate pieces of compressed pears and apples, and topped with hazelnut brittle. It was elegant, precise, and delicious.

Since then, I’ve kept coming back to this dessert. It’s the kind of recipe that invites creativity, letting you play with seasonal flavours, shapes, and presentations.

Today, I want to share my latest autumn-inspired version with you. It’s layered with cinnamon-spiced whipped cream, roasted pumpkin, and a zesty tangerine gel.

This combination feels like wrapping yourself in a warm blanket on a crisp fall day. It’s perfect for cozy gatherings with family and friends—something special but not overly fussy.

Let’s dive in and bring this autumn mille-feuille to life!

Ingredients (for 10 servings):

Puff pastry:

1 package of high-quality puff pastry (approx. 275 g)
Powdered sugar for caramelization

Roasted Pumpkin:

250g peeled and cleaned Hokkaido pumpkin (about half of a medium-sized pumpkin)
2 tablespoons of brown sugar (you can adjust the amount according to the sweetness of the pumpkin - you don't want it to be too sweet or bland)
30 g of butter
A pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
A pinch of ground cloves and nutmeg

Tangerine Gel:

150 ml freshly squeezed tangerine juice (about 4–5 tangerines, ideally sweet; if too sour, sweeten to taste)
1 g agar (about 1/2 teaspoon)

Cinnamon whipped cream:

200 ml of high-percentage whipping cream (min. 33% fat)
1 tablespoon of powdered sugar
Seeds from 1 vanilla pod
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Procedure:

Preparation of the puff pastry: Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Roll out the puff pastry into a thin sheet (approx. 2 mm) and cut out 30 rectangles (approx. 4 x 8 cm).

Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover with a perforated mat (or more parchment paper and a second baking tray to keep the dough thin and flat).

Bake for about 15 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Then remove the mat, dust the rectangles with powdered sugar and return them to the oven for 2-3 minutes to caramelize the sugar and give the dough a nice glossy finish.
Baked pumpkin: Peel the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and cut it into smaller pieces. Put it in the baking dish, and add butter, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Bake at 180°C for 30–40 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.

Blend half of the baked pumpkin into a smooth puree, leaving the other half in chunks for texture.
Tangerine gel: Strain the juice and pour it into a small pot.
Bring to a boil. Add the agar agar, cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes, then set aside. Let the gel harden (about 30 minutes at room temperature), then blend it to a smooth consistency.

Tip: Agar activates at 100 °C (boiling point) and starts to solidify at 40 °C. If the gel sets too quickly, reheat it gently.
Cinnamon whipped cream: Whip the cream with powdered sugar, vanilla seeds and cinnamon until stiff. Store it in the refrigerator before completing the dessert.

Assembling the dessert:

Start with the first rectangle of puff pastry as your base. Spread a generous layer of cinnamon-spiced whipped cream over it, followed by a small amount of pumpkin purée. Add a few pieces of roasted pumpkin for texture and flavour, and finish with a dollop of tangerine gel for a fresh, zesty burst.

Place the second rectangle of pastry on top and repeat the layers—cinnamon whipped cream, pumpkin purée, roasted pumpkin, and tangerine gel.

Finally, top with the third rectangle of pastry. Decorate it however you like! A light sprinkle of cinnamon, a few roasted pumpkin pieces, or even a touch more tangerine gel will add colour and flavour to the final presentation.

Practical tips:

Working with agar: Agar agar is great for making gels and has a firmer texture than gelatin. It is activated at 100 °C (boiling point) but starts solidifying at 40 °C. If the gel hardens too quickly, you can reheat it gently.

Puff pastry: Caramelizing with icing sugar will give the pastry a beautifully shiny surface and a soft crunch. Use a fine strainer to ensure the sugar covers the entire surface evenly.

Variability: This recipe can easily be adapted to the seasons. Try, for example, the summer version with strawberries and vanilla cream or the winter version with chocolate mousse.

I hope you enjoy your mille-feuille as much as I did!

If you’re up for a challenge and love experimenting with details, this dessert is the perfect canvas for your creativity.

Bon appétit! 😊