Custards Aren’t Hard To Make. Promise.

• Combine milk and cream in heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring milk mixture to simmer. Remove from heat. Add extract if using.
• Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Stir over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5 minutes (do not boil).
• Strain sauce through fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Cover and chill. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)

• Whisk together sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla in a medium bowl until mixture is pale yellow and “makes ribbons,” 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour; whisk until smooth.
• Bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium, about 3 minutes. Gradually add milk to egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium, whisking constantly, about 3 minutes. Boil mixture, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl; press plastic wrap directly onto surface. Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Mixture can be chilled, covered, for up to 3 days.

• Lightly beat the cream in a chilled stainless steel bowl with a large balloon whisk until it begins to thicken.
• Add the sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat until the cream is very stiff and stands in firm peaks when it is lifted from the bowl.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.

Mis en Place:

• Put a large pot of water on to boil for the water bath. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 325°F. Put eight 6-oz. ramekins in a large roasting pan or baking dish with high sides.

Make the Syrup:

• In a small saucepan, combine the lemon zest, juice, and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, 1/4 cup of the sugar, and the vanilla seeds and pod (if you’re using vanilla extract, don’t add it yet) and bring to just below boiling. Remove from the heat.

Temper the Eggs:

• In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth. Gently whisk a ladleful of the hot cream into the yolks and then whisk the yolk mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the cream. Cook slowly, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 170°F on an instant-read thermometer, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the reserved lemon syrup and strain immediately through cheesecloth or a fine sieve. If you’re using vanilla extract, stir it in now.

Bake:

• Divide the mixture among the ramekins in the roasting pan. Pull out the oven shelf, put the roasting pan on it (be sure it’s stable), and pour enough boiling water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the ramekins with a sheet of foil (simply lay the sheet on top, don’t crimp the edges) and bake for 25 to 45 minutes—start checking early—until the custards are set about 1/4 inch in from the sides, the centers respond with a firm jiggle (not a wavelike motion) when you nudge the ramekins, and the centers of the custards register 150° to 155°F on an instant-read thermometer (the hole left by the thermometer will close up as the custards firm).

Cool:

• Let the custards cool to room temperature in their water bath. Remove the custards from the bath, cover them with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Garnish with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and candied zest

Prep Rind

• Using a vegetable peeler, peel just the zest off of your fruit. Try to get as little of the bitter white pith as possible.
• Trim the white pith from the peel if need be. Flatten the peel on a cutting board and carefully shave the white part from the zest.
• Cut the zest into long strips about 1/4 inch wide.
• Place peels in a saucepan and add cold water just to cover; bring the mixture to a boil; strain
• Note: For lemons, repeat 2 more times; for grapefruit, repeat 4 times, for oranges, once is enough.

Candy Citrus Rind

• In the same saucepan combine the sugar and water, stir to hydrate. Add your corn syrup. Return the peels to the saucepan and cook over low heat.
• Simmer peels for 1-2 hours or until they are translucent but still retain their color. They should be soft and sweet with just a little bit of chew. If your cooking liquid no longer covers your zest at any point just add a little water.
• You can store the candied zest in the cooking liquid (refrigerated) or to crystallize, strain the zest, place on a rack or plate and allow to cool until tacky. Then toss in about ¼ cup finely ground sugar. Cool and store in a cool, dry place until ready to use.

• Preheat oven to 350*F
• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully portion hot syrup into 6 ramekins, turning to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat eggs. Whisk in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish.
• Place ramekins in shallow baking dish and fill with boiling water until it comes halfway up the sides. Lightly cover with aluminum foil or parchment.
• Bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until edges are set and while center still jiggles. Let cool completely.
• To serve, run a paring knife around edges, then carefully invert on serving plates when completely cool.

• Pre-heat the oven to 375*F.
• Line the unbaked pie shell with foil or parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans to about two-thirds full.
• Place the pie shell in the oven and bake it for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and the foil or parchment paper.
• Return the pie shell to the oven for about 5 minutes, or just until it begins to show a little color. Remove the pie shell to a rack and set aside.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
• Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the butter and chocolate; stir until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan.
• To the melted chocolate and butter mixture, add the sugar, flour, salt, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Beat for about 5 minutes with an electric mixer. Stop and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula a few times.
• Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell.
• Bake at 350 F for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the filling is set. The filling will be puffed up, but it will flatten as it cools.
• If the pie appears to be browning too much, place a pie shield or foil ring over the edge of the pie crust. Remove the pie to a rack to cool completely.
• Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

• Make pastry cream. Chill.
  
• Make Royal icing; dilute some by whisking in milk to create flood icing
  
• Roll out puff pastry
  
• Cut slices for napoleon; either several big napoleons or smaller slices for individually-sized servings.
  
• Place onto parchment paper
  
• Cover with a second sheet of parchment and a heavy pan to keep puff pastry from "puffing" during baking
  
• Bake for about 11 minutes at 400*F rotating the pan halfway through.
  
• Cool puff pastry completely. Use a sharp knife to square the edges off after baking for a perfect edge.
  
• Assemble ingredients – chilled patissier cream, fillings, royal icing, chocolate ganache or fruit glaze, etc.
  
• Layer each piece of puff pastry with pastry cream in an even layer from edge to edge. If adding additional fillings, place them on top of the pastry cream layer.
  
• Continue layering Mille-Feuille
  
• Use thick royal icing to trace edge. Use flood icing to cover center of the Mille-Feuille
  
• While the royal icing is still wet, use a pastry bag and apply thin lines of chocolate ganache or glaze
  
• Use a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife and pull through the royal icing in alternating directions.
  
• Serve.