RECIPE: Green raisin and rose water millefeuille

RECIPE: Green raisin and rose water millefeuille

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One of the most exciting things about living in a multicultural country like Australia is the vast library of culinary influences we can draw from, without the pressure of having to stay ‘authentic’.

Consider the millefeuille; a delicate-yet-indulgent French dessert where crème patissiere is sandwiched between layers of puff pastry and dusted with icing sugar.

Thousands of kilometres away, an Iranian version of the iconic baklava features similarly layered sheets of filo pastry interspersed with chopped pistachios and sweetened with rose water syrup.

Taking both of these pastries as inspiration, this Persian-and-French-inspired millefeuille/baklava hybrid combines the rich creaminess of a French dessert with the vibrant aromas of Middle Eastern flavours.

Filled with green raisins, pistachios and rose water-flavoured cream, it’s beautiful, flavourful, and surprisingly easy to make. The brik pastry crisps nicely and gains an attractive golden hue when baked.

This multicultural dessert is the perfect end to a classic dinner party, no matter which part of the world your guests are from.


Ingredients (Serves 4) 

  • 5 sheets Tunisian brik pastry
  • 1/2 cup green raisins
  • 1/2 cup sweet Riesling
  • Shelled, unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
 
FOR THE CREAM
  • 250mL thickened cream
  • 1/2 tsp rose water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp castor sugar
 
FOR THE ICING
  • 1/2 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar
  • 1/2 tsp rose water, plus extra
  • TO SERVE
  • Dried rose petals
  • Icing sugar

Combine the green raisins and sweet Riesling in a bowl and leave for at least two hours, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 180C. Use scissors or a knife to cut brik pastry into equally-sized rectangles, approx 10cm x 5cm.

Line a baking tray with baking paper and arrange pastry rectangles so that none overlap. Cover with another sheet of baking paper and a second baking tray.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until pastry has turned crisp and golden. Remove from baking tray and repeat with remaining rectangles until all have been prepared.

Combine cream, rose water and castor sugar in a bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat until thick. Transfer cream mixture to a piping bag. Refrigerate until needed.

Mix icing sugar and rose water until thick but slightly loose. Add more rose water as needed.

All prepped components will last several hours, and constructing the dessert when needed should only take a few minutes.

To construct:

Place a piece of brik pastry on each plate, then pipe a swirl of rose water cream evenly over it. Sprinkle pistachios and soaked raisins over the cream, then top with another piece of pastry and repeat. After three layers of cream, finish with a final piece of pastry. Drizzle with icing, sprinkle pistachios, raisins and rose petals, and dust a little icing sugar over the top to finish.

Green raisins, brik pastry, rose water and many other Middle Eastern and French baking supplies are available from your nearest The Essential Ingredient Store, or buy online for delivery to anywhere in Australia.

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