Cream Slices with Puff Pastry and Nutella
Cream slices with puff pastry filled with homemade vanilla pastry cream mixed with whipped cream. The milk is infused with cinnamon and lemon peel, while a layer and drizzle of Nutella finish each pastry.
Ingredients
For the pastry cream
- 400 ml milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Peel of 1 lemon yellow part only
- 4 egg yolks at room temperature
- 90 g granulated sugar
- 30 g cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the pastry
- 1 sheet puff pastry
For the filling and topping
- 200 ml whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar plus more for dusting
- 3 tablespoons Nutella
Instructions
- Pour 400 ml milk into a saucepan and add 1 cinnamon stick and the yellow peel of 1 lemon. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let cool.
- Place 4 egg yolks in a mixing bowl, add 90 g granulated sugar, and whisk until creamy.
- Sift 30 g cornstarch into the egg yolk mixture and whisk until well combined.
- Strain the milk through a sieve to remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Gradually pour the milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- Transfer the mixture to a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until thick, about 10–15 minutes.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly against the surface. Let cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour, until cold.
- Preheat the convection/fan oven to 200 °C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unroll 1 sheet puff pastry at room temperature and cut it into 24 evenly sized squares. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10–15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
- Pour 200 ml whipping cream into a mixing bowl and add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Beat with an electric hand mixer until the cream holds its shape.
- Add the cooled vanilla pastry cream a little at a time, mixing after each addition until all the pastry cream is incorporated and the filling is smooth.
- Carefully cut each cooled puff pastry square in half horizontally.
- Transfer the vanilla cream filling to a piping bag. Pipe the filling onto the bottom half of each pastry.
- Place 3 tablespoons Nutella in a microwave-safe bowl and warm in short bursts until fluid enough to pipe. Transfer to a piping bag and pipe some over the cream filling. Place the pastry tops over the filling, drizzle with the remaining Nutella, and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Lemon peel: Use only the yellow outer peel; avoid the bitter white pith.
Cover the surface: Press the plastic wrap directly against the pastry cream to help prevent a skin from forming.
Cool before filling: Both the pastry cream and baked pastry should be completely cool before assembly.
Warm the Nutella gently: It only needs to become fluid enough to pipe. Let it cool if it becomes hot before adding it to the cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 139kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 195IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.5mg
