Russian Mille-Feuille- Napoleon Pastry

My dad had a mille-feuille at his friend's house and couldn't stop raving about the crunchy layers with generous dollops of cream in between, so for his birthday I prepared this as a cake. The Russian Mille Feuille traces its origins back to the French "Mille-feuille," meaning "a thousand leaves." However, the Russian twist adds unique local flavors that enhance its charm.

Ingredients

• For the Puff Pastry:

- 1 package of puff pastry

- 1 egg (for egg wash)

• For the Cream Filling:

- 2 cups heavy cream

- 1 cup mascarpone cheese

- 1/2 cup powdered sugar

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• For Assembly and Decoration:

- Fresh berries (like raspberries and blueberries, optional)

Preparing the Puff Pastry

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to avoid sticking. Cut the pastry into equal large rectangles to form the pastry layers. Place these on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and brush the tops with an egg wash made by whisking the egg. Poke them with forks so they don't puff up.

Bake the pastry individually for about 15-20 minutes, or until they turn golden brown. Once out of the oven, let them cool completely.

Crafting the Cream Filling

While your pastry cools, it's time to whip up the creamy filling. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of heavy cream, 1 cup of mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer, whip this mixture until stiff peaks form.

Assembling the Mille Feuille

Once the pastry and cream filling are cool, it's assembly time! Start by placing one layer of pastry on a serving plate. Spread a generous layer of the cream filling on top. Repeat this layering process until you exhaust all pastry rectangles. Top with dollops of the cream and lots of berries.

Its crunchy for while, but after refrigeration it melds to become more like a crepe cake which is also delicious, depends on how you prefer it.