Chocolate Hazelnut Napoleons Recipes

CENTERPIECE NAPOLEON WITH CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 4 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Crack the egg into a small bowl, then add 1 tablespoon water and beat until well mixed. Pour half into a separate small bowl. Add a few drops of red food coloring to the egg in one bowl and a few drops of yellow to the other.
• Unfold the puff pastry sheets and cut each into 3 rectangles, using the folded lines as a guide, for a total of 12 rectangles. Place 3 on each of the prepared sheet pans, leaving 2 to 3 inches in between each.
• Top each of two pans of puff pastry with a second piece of parchment and place a second sheet pan on top of the parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the top sheet pans and top pieces of parchment. Return to the oven and bake until puffed and golden brown on the bottom, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Top the remaining two pans of unbaked puff pastry with parchment and sheet pans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the top sheet pans and parchment. Brush these partially-baked rectangles with red egg wash on one end and yellow on the other, overlapping the two in the middle to create an orange section. Return to the oven to finish the baking, another 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Make the filling in two batches so that it will fit in the mixer. Add half the cream cheese and half the powdered sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until light. Add 3 cups heavy cream and beat to stiff peaks. Add half the chocolate hazelnut spread, then fold in using a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Transfer to a piping bag or large resealable plastic bag fitted with a large closed-star tip and refrigerate until ready to use. Repeat the process with the second half of the filling ingredients, leaving this portion in the bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Split each of the puff pastry rectangles open horizontally using a serrated knife. Line up 6 of the bottom half puff pastry rectangles end-to-end down a long platter, using a dot of filling to secure to the platter if necessary. Pipe an even layer of filling down the puff pastry line. Top with 6 more puff pastry rectangles and repeat with filling and puff pastry twice more, refilling the piping bag as needed and ending with the colored puff pastry, lining them up with red ends touching. (See Cook's Note.)
• Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the puff pastry and top with broken pieces of Hazelnut Brittle.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Add the granulated sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup water to a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium-high heat until the syrup begins to turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling the pan gently, until the mixture is a deep amber color.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the nuts and salt. Pour immediately onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread into an even layer and let cool completely, then break into small pieces.

SAVORY CHOCOLATE NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Use an offset spatula to spread a 1/8-inch-thick layer of tempered chocolate over a sheet of acetate. When the chocolate begins to set but is not yet hard, use a sharp paring knife or rolling cutter to cut 1-inch squares. When the chocolate is set, peel off the acetate and break apart the chocolate squares.
• Place the softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Add the chives, paprika, salt and pepper and turn the mixer on medium speed. Mix just until combined.
• Place the cream cheese mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe a dollop of the cream cheese onto a chocolate square. Top with a square of chocolate. Pipe another dollop of cream cheese and cover with another square of chocolate. Viola!

PUFF PASTRY BRAID

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment.
• Lay out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Imagine the pastry has 3 equal sections. Add the hazelnut spread to the center section and, using a knife, cover the center section with the spread, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the top and bottom. Sprinkle the peanuts over the chocolate hazelnut spread.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the 2 outside sections into six 1-inch horizontal strips just to the center section.
• Fold the 1/2-inch borders at the top and bottom inwards, over the edges of the chocolate filling. Next, starting at one end, begin folding the pastry strips over the filling, alternating the sides to create a braid appearance. Put the braid on the parchment-lined sheet pan.
• Brush the pastry braid with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake until golden and cooked through, 28 to 30 minutes.
• While the pastry bakes, make the icing by whisking the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk in a bowl until smooth. Set aside.
• Allow the pastry to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle over the icing, slice and serve.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT NAPOLEON

Steps:

• For the pastry cream, heat the evaporated milk and milk in a medium saucepot until just below a simmer. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, and cornstarch together. Place the chocolate and butter in a separate bowl and place a strainer overtop.
• Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture while whisking constantly until it has all been added. Return this to the pot and whisk over medium heat until the custard thickens and turns glossy, about 3 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and pour it through the strainer over the chocolate and butter. Whisk this until the chocolate has melted and the custard is smooth. Whisk in the hazelnut liqueur and vanilla, then whisk in the hazelnut butter. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard, cool to room temperature, then chill until set, about 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper, and have a second baking tray of the same size on hand.
• Cut the pastry dough into 3 equal pieces. On a lightly floured surface roll out each piece to a rectangle about 5-x-14 inches. Alternatively, you can roll out each piece to about 4-x-8 inches and then finish rolling the dough through a pasta roller set to the widest setting (this makes for a pastry that bakes evenly and level). If needed, stack the 3 pieces of dough and trim the edges so that they are all the same size (they will be closer to 4-x-12 inches once trimmed). Chill the dough for 15 minutes.
• Place the 3 pieces of dough on the prepared baking tray and dock with a fork. Place a second sheet of parchment paper over the pastry and place the second baking tray on top. Bake the pastry for 10 minutes, then add a heavy weight on top of the top baking tray (a cast iron skillet, or even 2 bricks wrapped in foil) and bake 10 minutes more. Remove the weights, the top baking tray and parchment and finish baking for about 10 more minutes, until the pastry is a rich golden brown. Cool completely before assembling.
• To assemble, place one of the pastry pieces on a platter or flat board. Stir the pastry cream to soften and spread half of it over the pastry. Top this with a second sheet of pastry and spread the remaining half of the pastry cream overtop. Top this with the third piece of pastry and press it down ever so gently. Chill for an hour.
• Dust the top of the napoleon generously with icing sugar. Using a sharp Chef's knife, trim the edges of the pastry if needed, then cut the napoleon into 6 individual portions, each 4-x-1 ½-inches. Store the napoleons refrigerated until ready to serve.
• The napoleons can be prepared up to a day in advance, and stored refrigerated up to 2 days.

CHOCOLATE NAPOLEON

Steps:

• On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out Puff Pastry to a 12-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a pastry cutter or pizza wheel, cut square into three 12-by-4-inch strips. Transfer dough and parchment to a large baking sheet; prick all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap; chill in the refrigerator or freezer until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Transfer sheet to oven; bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until pastry is puffed and golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Set another baking sheet directly on pastry strips and continue baking until pastry is light golden in the center, 6 to 8 minutes more. Remove top baking sheet; bake until pastry is baked through and golden brown, 6 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon milk. If the mixture is too thick to pour, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the consistency of sour cream. Transfer a quarter of the glaze to a small bowl; whisk in cocoa. Transfer chocolate glaze to a paper cornet; set aside.
• Pour white glaze onto one of the pastry strips; spread evenly with an offset spatula. Cut the tip of the paper cornet, and pipe lines of chocolate glaze crosswise over the white glaze, about 1/2 inch apart. Drag the tip of a wooden skewer down the length of the glazed strip, in alternating directions, to create a decorative pattern.
• Fit a pastry bag with a 5/8-inch plain tip (such as an Ateco #808) and fill with half of the Chocolate Pastry Cream. Pipe an even layer onto another pastry strip. Top with the remaining pastry strip, pressing gently to secure. Fill the pastry bag with remaining pastry cream, and pipe evenly onto the strip. Place the glazed pastry on top. Once assembled, the Napoleon is best eaten the same day; slice with a serrated knife.
• A pastry strip is spread with an even layer of white glaze. After piping lines of chocolate glaze on top, a wooden skewer is used to create a decorative finish.
• The other pastry strips are layered with Chocolate Pastry Cream before being topped with the glazed strip.