The 'thousand-layer' pastry. It is a mathematical exercise in pastry crispness and custard stability. Three layers of intensely caramelized, compressed puff pastry are sandwiched with two layers of dense, vanilla-scented pastry cream (crème pâtissière), topped with iconic fondant marbling.
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The Pastry. Roll the puff pastry flat. Place on a sheet, cover with another sheet of parchment and a second sheet (to weigh it down). at 400°F (200°C) for 20 mins . This prevents it from rising too high and makes it dense and crisp.
Caramelize. Remove the top sheet. Dust the pastry with powdered sugar and for 5 mins until it melts into a glassy, brown caramel. Let cool and cut into three equal rectangles.
The Custard. Make a thick crème pâtissière by milk with vanilla, then whisking into yolks/sugar/cornstarch. Chill until very firm.
Assemble. Pipe thick dots of custard over the first pastry layer. Place second layer on top. Repeat. Top with third layer.
Glaze. Decorate the top with white fondant and draw lines of chocolate to create the classic chevron pattern. Serve immediately while pastry is shatteringly crisp.
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