Espresso Banana Napoleons Recipes

COFFEE NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out puff pastry on parchment to 11-by-15-inch rectangle. Sprinkle with sugar to evenly coat. Roll out again so sugar adheres to pastry. Trim to three 11-by-5-inch rectangles. Spray a rimmed baking sheet lightly with water and transfer pastry rectangles to baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 20 minutes. Divide rectangles between two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Top each with a wire cooling rack and bake until beginning to turn golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, whisk together heavy cream and espresso powder. Add confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth. If glaze is too thick to pour, add additional cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, until glaze reaches a pourable consistency.
• Assemble Napoleon: place one pastry rectangle on work surface. Top with half of pastry cream, spreading in an even layer. Top with a second pastry rectangle, pressing gently to adhere. Repeat with remaining pastry cream and pastry rectangle, with the flattest surface facing upward. Pour glaze on top and spread evenly using an offset spatula to cover. Fill a small pastry bag fitted with a very small plain tip (#1 or #2) with melted chocolate. Pipe lines of chocolate crosswise over the glaze, about 1/2 inch apart. Drag the tip of a wooden skewer down the length of the glazed pastry, in alternating directions, to create a decorative pattern. Refrigerate up to 1 hour before slicing with a serrated knife.

ESPRESSO-CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD WITH ESPRESSO-CINNAMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Make the banana bread: Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan with the softened butter. Place the 5 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat and cook until the butter turns a deep golden brown color, about 2 minutes; stir in the espresso powder. Remove and let cool slightly.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and kosher salt together in a medium bowl.
• Using a potato masher, mash the bananas in a medium bowl until pretty smooth. Add the sugars, cooled brown butter and egg and whisk until combined. Add the flour mixture and whisk until just combined, don't over-mix. Fold in the chopped chocolate.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake on the lowest oven rack until a toothpick inserted into the center of the banana bread comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 50 minutes. Let the banana bread cool on a baking rack in the pan for 15 minutes. Use a knife to separate the edges of the banana bread from the pan, then invert it and cool the loaf directly on the rack for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
• Make the espresso-cinnamon butter: Stir the butter, sugar, espresso, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl until smooth. Serve with the banana bread.

BANANA ESPRESSO PUDDING

Steps:

• For the coffee pastry cream: Set up your grill for cooking with indirect heat. If using a charcoal grill, build the coals on one side only. If using a gas grill, heat one side only.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, espresso powder, salt and 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Place on the direct-heat side of the grill and bring to a gentle simmer. Remove from the grill.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole egg, cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar until smooth. Slowly stream half of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the pot of milk and whisk to combine. Place the pot over the indirect-heat side of the grill and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula and scraping the bottom and sides of the pot until the pudding has thickened and small bubbles form on the surface, about 5 minutes. (You may have to move the pot on and off the heat while cooking so that the mixture cooks and thickens but the eggs do not scramble.) Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the mascarpone, butter and vanilla paste. Pour the pudding into a mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface. (This will prevent a pudding skin from forming.) Chill for 1 to 2 hours or up to overnight.
• For the whipped cream: Whip the heavy whipping cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract to soft peaks. Set aside.
• To assemble: In 6 parfait glasses, layer the pudding, vanilla wafers (you can break these up or crush them) and sliced bananas so that there are 2 layers of each. Top with the whipped cream and crushed chocolate covered espresso beans. Chill until ready to serve.

BANANA NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Boil water. Drop the wonton wrappers in one at a time and bring water back to a boil. Boil for about a minute and a half then drain carefully and return wrappers to pot. Fill pot with cold water.
• Brush a cookie sheet with oil. Carefully lift wrappers from water shake off as much water as you can and arrange on sheet. (NOW you know why we used cold water don't you?).
• Place 1 1/4 tbsp of sugar into sieve and top wrappers.
• Cook for 16 to 18 minutes. They should be nicely browned, crisp and glazed. Now remove wrappers from sheet to a cooling rack carefully with thin spatula.
• Mix the lemon rind, lemon juice, peach preserves, and rum in a bowl large enough to hold the bananas.
• Peel the bananas, first cut them in half crosswise, then into 1/3-inch lengthwise slices.
• Add them to the bowl, and mix gently to coat the banana slices with the sauce.
• When you go to serve place a wonton crisp on each of the four dessert plates then divide the banana mixture among the plates, spoon on top of the crisps.
• Place the remaining wonton crisps on top of the bananas, sprinkle the remaining teaspoon of sugar on top.
• Serve immediately.

ESPRESSO PASTRY CREAM

Steps:

• Pour milk into heavy medium saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat and discard bean.
• Using electric mixer, beat yolks and both sugars in large bowl until very thick, about 3 minutes. Add cornstarch; blend well. Gradually whisk half of hot milk into egg mixture. Add mixture to pan; whisk over medium heat until thickened and boiling, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in espresso mixture. Transfer to medium bowl. Place plastic wrap directly onto surface of pastry cream; chill until cold, at least 3 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead; keep chilled.) Whisk pastry cream until smooth before using.