Lemon Mille-feuilles

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Serves 8

Icing sugar, to dust

400g frozen flaky puff pastry, thawed Lemon zest, to sprinkle

MASCARPONE FILLING 400g mascarpone

1 cup lemon curd 300ml cream

Preheat oven to 200C fanbake. Line an oven tray with baking paper for easy clean-up. Dust a clean workbench with icing sugar and roll out the pastry to a 24cm x 34cm rectangle. Cut in half lengthways and trim the edges. Transfer the pieces to the prepared tray, cover with another piece of baking paper and put an oven tray on top to weight it down. Bake until the pastry is golden and crisp (20 minutes — but check after 15 minutes). Leave to cool in between the trays. If not using at once, store in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Meanwhile, to make the filling, whisk the mascarpone until smooth then mix in the curd. Whisk cream to firm peaks and fold through. Use a serrated knife to cut both pieces of pastry in half horizontally through the centre to make two bases and two tops. Place one base on a large flat serving plate, cut side up. Spread over one-third of the filling. Layer on a top half, top side up. Repeat with one-third more filling and then the next pastry base. Spread over the last of the filling and top with the final pastry top, top side up. Dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with lemon zest. Slice carefully using a large serrated knife, cutting through the first two layers with a sawing action then slicing through the rest in one long action.

ANNABEL SAYS: This is one of those fabulous desserts that’s made in a snap but looks like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen.