Nouveaux Napoleons

I forgot to post the dessert recipe yesterday. Did you know that you could eat Napoleon? Is nothing sacred any more?

This is one of the easier recipes in my Simple French Desserts (yes, the book’s title is misleading, but the recipes in there are good). The end result was good and I was especially glad that Amber liked it. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

  • 6 sheets phyllo dough
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
  • Pastry Cream
  • 2 cups fresh raspberries
  • Raspberry Coulis
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough flat on a clean work surface. Lightly brush the phyllo with the melted butter, working from the edges towards the center. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Layer the remaining 5 sheets of phyllo dough over the first, buttering and sprinkling all but the last sheet with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Dust the top sheet liberally with confectioners’ sugar.
  3. Cut the phyllo into 4 strips, each 4-by-17-inches. Cut each strip into thirds to make 12 rectangles.
  4. Transfer the phyllo rectangles to the prepared pan. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes, or until the phyllo is crsip and the confectioners’ sugar has melted into a shiny, golden glaze.
  5. To assemble napoleons, place 1 phyllo rectangle on a dessert plate and spread with 1/2 cup pastry cream. Sprinkle a few fresh raspberries over the cream. Place a second phyllo rectangle on top of the cream, glazed side up. Repeat with the remaining 5 portions. Drizzle raspberry coulis around each napoleon.

Pastry Cream

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 heavy cream
  1. Combine 1.5 cups of the milk with the sugar in a medium, heavy saucepan.
  2. In a medium bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining 1/2 cup milk. Whisk the eggs and yolk into the dissolved cornstarch until completely smooth.
  3. Bring the milk and sugar to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture to temper it. Whisk in the remaining milk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time until completely combined.
  4. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until the custard thickens and comes to a slow boil. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until both are completely incorporated.
  5. Pour the custard through a fine-meshed sieve into a large bowl. Press plastic wrap over the surface of the hot pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming as the cream cools. Let the custard cool for a few hours in the refrigerater.
  6. In a large bowl, beat the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold one third of the whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream to soften it, then fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

Raspberry Coulis

Ingredients

  • 1 lb frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange liqueur (optional)
  1. Puree the raspberries and any accumulated juice in a blender or food processor until smooth. Press the puree through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. Discard the seeds.
  2. Stir the sugar and liqueur, if using, into the puree. Taste and adjust the sweetening, if necessary.

By Zack

Dad, gadget guy, bookworm, political animal, global nomad, cyclist, hiker, tennis player, photographer

3 comments

Comments are closed.