Chocolate Napoleons Recipes

CHOCOLATE PHYLLO NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the butter and cocoa to make "cocoa butter".
• Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the pan and brush with cocoa butter. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons of sugar, then place another sheet of phyllo on top. Brush with cocoa butter, sprinkle with sugar, lay another sheet of phyllo on top, brush with cocoa butter, and sprinkle with sugar. Cover the stack with parchment paper. Place another pan on top to weight it down. Then place another, empty sheet pan on the very top. (This is to keep the phyllo from buckling during baking).
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the phyllo is dark brown. It's very difficult to tell, as it's so chocolate-y looking as it is. Remove the whole stack of sheet pans and let cool (do not unstack the pans).
• To assemble the dessert, break the phyllo up into random pieces about 3-inches square. Place a dab of mascarpone on each of 4 plates and press 1 phyllo piece down on it. Spoon on a heaping tablespoon of mascarpone in the center and surround it with raspberries. Place another phyllo piece on top and repeat, topping off with a final phyllo piece. Garnish with a mint sprig, a dusting of powdered sugar, and raspberry puree, if desired.

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.

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!

MILLE FEUILLE (NAPOLEON PASTRY SHEETS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone sheet.
• Separate dough at the seams into 4 squares and place on prepared baking sheet. Score the dough all over with the tines of a fork to prevent it from rising too much when baking. Lightly sprinkle dough sheets with white granulated sugar.
• Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and 3 sheets of aluminum foil. Nest another baking sheet on top to apply some pressure to the dough while it bakes.
• Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes; remove top pan and foil and gently peel off the parchment paper. Return pan to oven and bake until pastry is beautifully browned, 10 to 15 minutes. (Optionally, you can bake about 7 minutes after uncovering, then flip sheets over and bake until brown on the other side, another 7 minutes.)
• Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely before cutting.
• Square the sheets by trimming uneven edges off sheets using a sharp serrated knife with light sawing motion to keep the pastry from breaking. Cut each rectangle crosswise into 3 equal smaller rectangles. Use 3 small rectangles per pastry.

CHOCOLATE-BERRY NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet into a 10-inch square; cut into 2 1/2-by-5-inch rectangles (8 total). Sandwich between 2 unlined rimmed baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 30 minutes. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cool. Cook 1/3 cup milk, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small skillet over medium heat, whisking, until thick. Stir in 2 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate; cool. Fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped cream. To assemble, layer 2 pastry rectangles with the chocolate cream and raspberries. Dust with confectioners' sugar.