Use the tines of a fork to separate each pastry square horizontally into 3 layers. Stir in enough boiling water to make a glaze of spreading consistency set aside. In a medium mixing bowl combine confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Fold whipped cream into warm pastry cream. In a small mixing bowl beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool just until warm without stirring. Slowly stir about half of the hot mixture into beaten egg yolks. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Slowly stir in half-and-half or light cream. In a heavy, medium saucepan stir together sugar, flour, and salt. (Or bake according to package directions.) Carefully remove pastries from baking sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven for 18-23 minutes, or until golden. Transfer pastry squares to the prepared baking sheets prick pastry. Unfold puff pastry sheet and trim edges to a 9-inch square. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or plain brown paper set aside. In Italy, where the pastry is thought to have originated in Naples, it is called mille foglie (again, thousand leaves), and contains a similar layering like the mille-feuilles of cream, pastry cream, and fruit preserves.Ī traditional napoleon is filled with plain pastry cream but if desired you may add a thin layer of fruit preserves such as seedless raspberry or strawberry jam or preserves to the filling.ġ/2 of a 17 1/4-ounce package (1 sheet) frozen puff pastry, thawedįruit Preserve or Jam Filling: (optional)ġ/3 cup seedless raspberry or strawberry jam or preservesġ 1/2 tablespoons melted semisweet chocolate The topping may be simply powdered sugar, or a layer of fondant, often with strings of chocolate drawn into a chevron design. It can be eaten as a dessert, or even as a decadent meal.Īs a French pastry it is called mille-feuilles, or thousand leaves, and it is usually filled with whipped cream, pastry cream, and fruit preserves - most often raspberry jam. The Napoleon is a pastry made of many layers of puff pastry with filling alternating the layers.

Classic French Napoleon in Diana's Recipe Book

French napoleon cake near me