Napoleons

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(from Bethany’s recipe box)

This French pastry is impressively elegant and deceivingly simple.

Makes 6 Napoleons

You will need two large rimmed baking sheets of the same size to make this recipe. If the dough becomes too warm and sticky to work with, cover it with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator until firm. You can substitute a 1-pound box of store-bought frozen puff pastry for the homemade puff pastry if desired. If using store-bought puff pastry, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then unwrap both pieces of dough, stack one on top of the other, and roll into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle between two sheets of parchment paper, proceeding with the recipe as directed.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: In order to prevent the puff pastry from puffing up during baking, we weighted it down with a rimmed baking sheet and an ovenproof dish. For the Napoleons’ traditional decorative swirl, we used the tip of a small knife to drag the vanilla glaze over the chocolate glaze.

http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/bake-it-better/2012/09/secrets-to-french-napoleons/

Source: America's Test Kitchen | September 12, 2012

Categories: Desserts

Ingredients

  • PUFF PASTRY:
  • 3 cups (15 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup ice water
  • BUTTER SQUARE:
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter, chilled
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1 ounce bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped fine
  • 3/4 cup (3 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
  • VANILLA GLAZE:
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons milk
  • ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • FILLING:
  • 2 cups Pastry Cream (see Fresh Fruit Tart recipe)

Directions

  1. FOR THE PUFF PASTRY: Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor to combine. With the machine running, add the lemon juice, followed by ¾ cup of the ice water, in a slow steady stream. Add the remaining ¼ cup water as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together and no floury bits remain.

  2. Turn the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a 6-inch square. Wrap the dough tightly in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

  3. FOR THE BUTTER SQUARE: Following the photos, lay the 3 sticks of butter side by side on a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and cover with a second sheet of parchment paper. Gently pound the butter with a rolling pin until the butter is softened and the flour is fully incorporated, then roll it into an 8-inch square. Wrap the butter square in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and roll into an 11-inch square. Place the chilled butter square diagonally in the center of the dough. Fold the corners of the dough up over the butter square so that the corners meet in the middle and pinch the dough seams to seal.

  5. Using a rolling pin, gently tap the dough, starting from the center and working outward, until the square becomes larger and the butter begins to soften. Gently roll the dough into a 14-inch square, dusting with extra flour as needed to prevent sticking. Fold the dough into thirds to form a rectangle, then fold the rectangle in thirds to form a square. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

  6. Repeat step 5 twice and let the dough rest in the refrigerator for 2 more hours.

  7. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut the pastry dough in half; use one piece as directed and refrigerate or freeze the rest for another use. Roll the puff pastry into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle, about ¼ inch thick, between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Following the photos, remove the top sheet of parchment and prick the pastry with a fork every 2 inches.

  8. Replace the top sheet of parchment and slide the dough onto a rimmed baking sheet. Place a second rimmed baking sheet on top of the dough and weight the baking sheet down with a large ovenproof dish. Bake the pastry until cooked through and lightly golden, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.

  9. Remove the weight, the top baking sheet, and the top sheet of parchment paper, and continue to bake the pastry until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Let the pastry cool completely on the baking sheet, about 1 hour. (The pastry will shrink slightly.)

  10. Cut the cooled pastry in half lengthwise with a serrated knife and trim the edges as necessary to make them straight. Cut each pastry half crosswise into three rectangles, then cut each rectangle crosswise into 3 small rectangles (you will have a total of 18 rectangles).

  11. FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Microwave the milk and chocolate together in a small microwave-safe bowl, whisking often, until the chocolate begins to melt, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisk in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth.

  12. FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE: Whisk the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla together in another small bowl until smooth.

  13. Spread the chocolate glaze evenly over the top of 6 rectangles of pastry and lay them on a wire rack set over a sheet of parchment paper (for easy cleanup). Drizzle a thin stream of the vanilla glaze over the chocolate glaze. Run the tip of a small knife or toothpick lengthwise through the icing to make a design. Let the icing set, about 20 minutes.

  14. FOR THE FILLING: Meanwhile, spread about 2 ½ tablespoons of the pastry cream evenly over 6 more rectangles of pastry. Gently top each with one of the remaining 6 rectangles of pastry and spread the remaining pastry cream evenly over the tops. Top with the glazed pastry rectangles and serve.

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