Happy Birthday to meeeee!!

Happy Birthday to meeeee!

I'm glad we got to celebrate my birthday with my sister!  But what cake should I make?  Yes, you read that correctly....I'm making my own birthday cake.  I'm not complaining--it is my passion after all.

Just to get some ideas, I asked my sister what kind of birthday cake I should make, and if she wanted anything in particular.  To this she said, "A fruit tart or mille feuille (i.e. Napoleon)."

....Um, neither of them would be classified as cake.

But hey, it's not often my sister gets to come visit, so I started brainstorming.  A fruit tart or a mille feuille, eh? 

Well....how about....both??  How about a hybrid/fusion of the two?

So this is what I came up with....a Mille Feuille Tart!



A 9" flaky, buttery, crispy puff pastry tart shell filled generously with custard cream, piled high with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwi, and mango cubes.  This was my first time making the blitz puff pastry, and it turned out really well.  Unlike the traditional recipe, this one isn't as violent/labor-intensive since it doesn't require the butter to be smacked into blocks. 

The cream (perfumed with vanilla) and the flaky pastry were a match made in heaven, and a few had seconds.

My brother-in-law asked me, "What's your favorite dessert to make?".  To this I replied...

"My favorite dessert to make....is one that brings smiles to everyone's face." :)