Apricot mille feuille is the perfect sweet treat to really impress at your summer supper. This recipe from Philippa Davis is a little extra effort, but well worth it.

For a deliciously refreshing dessert, try our strawberry, cardamom, elderflower and lime sherbet. A favourite across the pond, it is creamier than sorbet but easier to make than ice cream and perfect for a balmy evening.

APRICOT MILLE FEUILLE

This impressive dessert is well worth the effort.

Serves 4

Pastry

• 2 dsp caster sugar
• 385g puff pastry
• 1-2 tbsp icing sugar

Crème patisserie

• 4 medium egg yolks
• 60g caster sugar
• 10g plain flour
• 20g cornflour
• 350ml whole milk
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• 150ml double cream
• 1 dsp icing sugar

Apricots

• 8 apricots
• 200g caster sugar
• 300ml water
• Splash of brandy or white wine

To make this apricot mille feuille, first preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Tear off a large sheet of baking parchment and scatter with a dessertspoon of caster sugar. Roll out the puff pastry on the paper until it is just larger than The Field magazine.

Scatter over the remaining dessertspoon of caster sugar then lay another piece of baking paper on top.

Place papers and pastry between two flat baking sheets and put a dish on top to weigh it down (this helps to keep it flat).

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove the dish, top baking sheet and top paper and bake for a further
8-10 minutes until crispy and golden.

Leave to cool slightly, then trim off the edges, cut into 16 equal rectangles and dust with icing sugar.
To make the crème patisserie: whisk the egg yolks and 60g of caster sugar until pale and thick, then mix in the flour and cornflour.

In a saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla pod until it just comes to the boil.

Remove the pan from the heat, allow it to cool slightly, take out the vanilla pod but don’t throw it away, then whisk the hot milk into the egg yolk mix. Return the mix to the pan and cook gently, whisking all the time
until thickened.

Cook for another couple of minutes to get rid of the raw-flour taste, whisking continually, then pour into a bowl, cover with greaseproof paper and allow to cool.

Whip the double cream with the icing sugar until thick then stir in to the patisserie cream.

Transfer into a piping bag.

To prepare the apricots, place the fruits, sugar, water and vanilla pod from the patisserie cream (having rinsed it) into a pan and bring to a simmer.

Cook for about 10 minutes until the apricots are soft.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Take the apricots out of the liquid and cut each into about 8 slithers, discarding the stone.

To assemble: pipe a small line of crème patisserie onto your serving plate. Place on top a rectangle of pastry, then a decent line of crème patisserie and a chopped-up apricot.

Repeat with another layer of pastry, crème patisserie and apricot, then finally top with pastry.