A classic French pâtisserie whose name means a thousand leaves, built from crisp layers of puff pastry interleaved with crème pâtissière or whipped cream and sometimes jam. The top is typically finished with icing, often feathered with chocolate, or dusted with icing sugar. Each bite shatters through caramelised pastry into smooth cream, a contrast of textures that defines the dessert. Precision matters: the pastry must be baked flat and crisp, and assembly happens close to serving so the layers do not soften. Known in Italy as millefoglie and in Britain sometimes as vanilla slice, it remains a benchmark of pastry skill.