Napolean recipe from Family First

sunny90

Wed, May 16 2012, 8:35 am

Napoleans
Serves 12

1 pk frozen puff pastry dough, defrosted

Cream Filling

3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 c water
3/4 c + 2 tbsp (7 oz/200g) margarine, cubed
1 pk vanilla sugar
1 pkg (3.5 oz/100g) instant vanilla pudding mix
1/2 carton (9 oz/250 g) prepared vanilla cream
confectioners' sugar, for garnish
fresh cherries, for garnish

Equipment

crisscross stencil
rectangular loaf cake container for storage

Directions

To prepare napolean leaves, divide puff pastry dough into 2 leaves that will fit an 11x13 inch pan. Roll out gently and prick dough all over with a fork.
Preheat oven to 400 (200 c). Arrange puff pastry sheets on a baking sheet lined with parchament paper and bake for approximately 10 min. Remove tray from oven and place a sheet of parchment paper and a second baking pan on top to serve as a weight. Return tray to oven and bake for an additional 10-15 min until dough is golden and flat. Let cool.

To prepare cream filling, beat eggs with sugar and flour. Slowly add 1/2 c water until filling is thin and liquidy.
In a small saucepan bring 2 cups of water to boil. Pour filling into boiling water and stir until lumpy. Watch it carefully so that it doesn't burn.
Turn off flame and let filling cool for 10 minutes. Replace in mixer and add margarine and vanilla sugar. Once the margarine is melted and absorbed into the filling, add pudding mix.
Refrigerate prepared vanilla cream for 10 minutes. Add vanilla cream to mixture and stir well.

Use a sharp knife to cut the napoleon leaves into three equal rectangles 12 inches long and 3 inches (30x8 cm). Place one rectangle onto a serving tray and spread a generous layer of cream on top. Place a second rectangle on top and spread a second layer of cream on top of it.
Lay the third rectangle on a sheet of parchment paper. Place crisscross stencil on top. Using a sifter, sprinkle confectioners' sugar generously over stencil. Gently lift plastic stencil off of pastry. Your leaf should have a diamond design. Gently lay the third rectangle over the second layer of cream. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Immediately before serving, garnish with fresh cherries.

Note: Napoleons can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. After that the pastry becomes softer and less tasty.
Variation: Add fresh fruit to the layers.

Enjoy!