Berry Napoleon
Berry Napoleon. This dessert is so easy to make. I should also add that is it also quite delicious. The bright colored berries are so pretty, that they make a lovely presentation. It really is a light dessert and so summery. You can make the puff pastry in advance and then assemble the napoleon right before serving. All you have to do is whip some heavy cream and the dessert comes together in no time.
Berry Napoleon. This dessert is so easy to make. I should also add that is it also quite delicious. The bright colored berries are so pretty, that they make a lovely presentation. It really is a light dessert and so summery. You can make the puff pastry in advance and then assemble the napoleon right before serving. All you have to do is whip some heavy cream and the dessert comes together in no time.
- Carbohydrate 51.2384769230769 g
- Cholesterol 81.515 mg
- Fat 51.3714230769231 g
- Fiber 5.13721153846154 g
- Protein 7.50434615384615 g
- Saturated Fat 21.0441505769231 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (205g)
- Sodium 212.497115384615 mg
- Sugar 46.1012653846154 g
- Trans Fat 2.74696192307692 g
- Calories 687 calories
Step-by-step
- In the top of a double boiler, beat eggs and sugar. Stir in butter, lemon juice, peel and salt. Cook over simmering water for 15 minutes or until mixture is thickened and reaches 160 degrees. Cover and store in the fridge for 1 week (or freeze).
- Preheat oven to 425 deg.
- Cut puff pastry into rectangles...I think circles would be cute as well. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with some raw sugar if you like(you don't have to do this). Prick with a fork all over. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. Keep an eye on it ...they can burn quite easily. Take out and cool. Split the puff pastry in two with a sharp knife being very careful as they can break on you...just be gentle.
- In the meantime, clean berries and cut strawberries into 4 wedges.
- In a mixer, using a whisk, whip cream on high until nice and thick. Add vanilla sugar and 1 TBS powdered sugar and whip a few more seconds until combined. Fold in 2-3 TBS of lemon curd.
- Assemble napoleons. Place a small circle of lemon curd on bottom of plate...this keeps the napoleon from sliding around on you.
- Place some fluffy lemon cream unto a piece of puff pastry.
- Add some berries and add a dollop of lemon curd on top.
- Repeat with a second layer. Add top sheet of puff pastry and spread a few more berries on the bottom of the plate. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. This recipe will keep in the fridge for about 30 minutes before getting soggy.
Baking the puff pastry at a high temperature of 425 degrees Fahrenheit is crucial for achieving proper flake structure because the sudden heat rapidly evaporates moisture trapped in the butter layers, forcing the dough to expand vertically into distinct sheets.
- Dock the rolled pastry thoroughly with the tines of a fork across the entire surface to prevent uneven ballooning in the oven.
- Watch the rectangles carefully during the final minutes of the ten-minute bake window, as high-fat laminated dough transitions from golden brown to scorched very quickly.
- Split the cooled baked layers gently using a serrated knife operated with a sawing motion rather than downward pressure to minimize breakage.
- Cook the lemon curd over simmering water rather than direct heat to protect the egg proteins from seizing, heating the mixture until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit or coats the back of a spoon thickly.
- Whip the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form, but fold in the lemon curd deliberately to avoid deflating the aerated fat structure.
- Serve the assembled pastries within thirty minutes of construction because moisture from the fruit and cream will soften the crisp pastry layers rapidly.
Judged without a thermometer, properly cooked lemon curd leaves a clean track when you draw a finger through the coating on a spoon. Cool finished curd completely before folding it into dairy to prevent thermal breakdown of the whipped cream.
