Family Chefmate: Napoleons

Napoleons are a famous French dessert. My daughter, Meg Anne asked me this weekend if we could make a special dessert. Meg Anne wanted to make Napoleons because of its rich pastry cream filling and crunchy dough made from phyllo dough. Whenever my family goes to a French bakery or French restaurant my family asks for Napoleons. The original recipe for the pastry cream comes from the "Baking Book" but I added a few different ingredients. Meg Anne loved brushing each phyllo sheet with butter and separating the egg yolks.

Phyllo Dough Tips: Phyllo dough comes in a box of 18 sheets that are 13 x17 inches in length. Phyllo dough can be bought at your local grocery store in the freezer isle next to the pie crusts and other frozen dough products. Phyllo dough is sold frozen but you must defrost the dough in the refrigerator overnight before using this product. When you use the dough place a damp kitchen towel over the extra dough after each time you use it. This will keep the dough from drying out. If you have any dough left over you can refreeze the dough after you reseal the left over dough in the box.

Napoleons:
Serves: 9

10 sheets Phyllo dough thawed
1 stick melted butter

Preheat oven: 400 degrees

Place the thawed phyllo dough on the counter and open the dough until it is flat and looks like a stack of tissue paper. Place one sheet of phyllo dough on a large cutting board and then use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter over the sheet of phyllo. When the phyllo dough has been brushed with the melted butter place the sheet carefully onto a cookie sheet. Repeat this process 4 more times. You should have 5 sheets of phyllo dough stacked on top of each other when you are done. Cut the phyllo dough: 3 rows down x 6 rows across on the cookie sheet with a sharp knife. Place the cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 5-6 minutes or until the phyllo dough is a golden brown (watch the dough carefully in the oven because it will burn easily). Remove the cookie sheet from the oven to cool. Repeat this process again with the additional 5 sheets of phyllo dough and another cookie sheet.

Pastry Cream:
1 1/4 cups none fat milk
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 large egg yolks
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons organic sugar
4 tablespoons whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups whip cream
2 tablespoons of powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan on medium high heat add the 1 1/4 cup none fat milk and 1 1/4 cups whipping cream and bring to a simmer. When the milk has reached a simmer then remove from the heat. While the milk is heating whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until smooth and creamy about 3 minutes. Temper the eggs by adding 1 cup of the hot milk mixture slowly to the eggs while whisking the mixture continually. Then add the egg mixture slowly to the hot milk mixture continually whisking. If you forget the whisk you will get scrabbled eggs. Put the saucepan back on the stove and whisk in the flour. Keep whisking and allow the pastry cream to thicken up for 2-3 minutes. When the pastry cream has thickened remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Place the pastry cream into a bowl and cool the pastry cream in an ice bath for 10 minutes (place the pastry cream bowl into another bowl filled with ice water). Stir the pastry cream 2 times during the cooling process. Place the pastry cream into the refrigerator to cool. When the pastry cream is cold fold the whip cream into the pastry cream. Return the pastry cream to the refrigerator.

Using a Kitchen Aid or hand mixer beat the 1 1/2 cups whipping cream on high until it starts to thicken then turn the beaters to low and add the vanilla extract and the powder sugar until incorporated. Then turn the beaters to high and continue to beat until stiff peaks appear. Place the whip cream in the refrigerator to keep cool until you are ready to mix it with the pastry cream.

Icing:
2 cups powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoon cold water

Place the powder sugar, vanilla and cold water into a large bowl and whisk together (If the icing is too thick add 1 teaspoon of additional water. If the icing is to thin add 1 Tablespoon of additional powder sugar until you get the right consistency).

Chocolate Topping:
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Place the dark chocolate chips into a microwavable bowl. Microwave the chips on high for 45 seconds and stir. Microwave again for 45 more seconds and stir. If the chips are not fully melted microwave again for 30 more seconds and stir. Place the melted chocolate into a pastry bag or food baggie. Wait until you are ready to assemble the Napoleon's before you cut the tip off the plastic bag.

Assembling the Napoleons:
Place a section of phyllo dough on the center of a plate (5 layers) then spread 3 tablespoons of pastry cream over the phyllo dough. Add another layer of phyllo dough (5 layers). With a spoon drizzle icing over the top of the phyllo dough. Squeeze the melted chocolate out of the plastic pastry bag making lines and designs with the chocolate on top of the icing. Use a toothpick or knife to make additional decorative designs with the chocolate. Serve Napoleons immediately.

Brushing The Phyllo Dough With Butter