Food stylist and recipe developer Tanya Eng creates a fruity, flaky pastry treat that calls to the lighter fare and delicate flavours of spring.

The first signs of spring are shyly starting to show themselves, and after the rich and hearty desserts of winter, we're craving something a little lighter and fruitier. The napoleon (or mille feuille in French, which translates to thousand leaves) can take on a whole host of flavours between its fluffy pastry layers, from vanilla custard to creamy caramel. With our sights set on warm-weather walks and patio meals, we took a casual approach to our version and filled it with fresh strawberries, smooth Greek yogurt, toasted hazelnuts and a touch of cool mint.

Stack yours with as little or as much of each ingredient as you desire - it's just as fun to build them as it is to eat them!

Ingredients

• 3 sheets phyllo dough
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 cup thinly sliced strawberries
• 2 tbsp icewine
• 1 tbsp finely chopped mint 1⁄2 cup thick lemon-flavoured Greek yogurt
• 1⁄4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts
• Whole fresh strawberries and mint sprigs for garnish
• 3 tbsp icing sugar for dusting

Makes 4 napoleons.

Directions 

1 Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lay one sheet of phyllo on a cutting board, bunching it to lightly crinkle. Brush with some of the butter and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Repeat with the remaining 2 sheets, layering them on top. Cut 12 3"-round circles out of the dough. Transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake on the centre rack of the oven for 7 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown; let cool.

2 In a bowl, combine the strawberries, icewine and mint. Spread the mixture evenly onto 8 of the phyllo rounds. Top each with 1 tablespoon of the Greek yogurt and 1⁄2 tablespoon of the hazelnuts.

3 To assemble, stack 2 of the filled layers together and top them off with 1 of the remaining plain phyllo rounds. Repeat the process to make a total of 4 two-layer napoleons.

4 Serve the napoleons garnished with a whole strawberry and a few sprigs of mint and lightly dusted with the icing sugar.