Neapolitan Dessert Tacos Recipes

NEAPOLITAN MACARONS

Steps:

• Before you start, get all of the ingredients ready. Prepare two large piping bags, fitted with a large round tip.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
• Measure out all of the ingredients.
• Sift the powdered sugar and almond flour together. Set aside.
• Place the egg whites and granulated sugar in a heat proof bowl or in a double boiler. Over a pan of barely simmering water, whisk the whites and sugar until frothy and the sugar is completely melted. It will take a couple of minutes. You can test by touching the mixture between your fingers, and if you feel any sugar granules just keep whisking the mixture over the water bath.
• Make sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the simmering water.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer.
• With the whisk attachment, start whisking mixture on low for about 30 seconds, then gradually start increasing speed to medium. Whisk on medium for one to two minutes, until the mixture is white and starting to become fluffy. Raise the speed to high for a few minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Best way to check this is to keep your eye on the whites. Once they get glossy and you start seeing streaks formed by the whisk, it might be time to stop.
• Whisk until stiff peaks have formed. When you pull your whip up, the peak should be stiff and shooting straight up, with possibly a slight bend at the top, but not bending to the side.
• Pour the powdered sugar and almond flour into stiff whites.
• Start folding gently forming a letter J with a spatula until the batter is just incorporated, but not ready yet.
• Split the batter into two bowls as soon as the batter comes together, you don't want to have folded too much at this point, because once you add the cocoa powder or the pink coloring, you will have to fold more in order to get those ingredients incorporated.
• To one bowl, add sifted cocoa powder, and to the other bowl add some of the pink coloring.
• Work with one batter at a time, and keep the other batter covered while you do the macaronage in first one.
• How to know when to stop folding the batter: It's time to stop folding when the batter is glossy and has a thick and flowing consistency. There are several ways to test this.
• First, pick up some batter with the spatula and try to draw a figure 8 with the batter that is dripping off the spatula. If you can form several 8 figures without the batter breaking up, that's one indication that it might be ready.
• There's another test you can do. I call it the Teaspoon test.
• Grab a teaspoon of batter and spoon onto the parchment paper or silicon mat. Wait a minute to see how it behaves.If the batter stays stiff, forming a point and doesn't spread out, fold a little bit more, about 3 folds. Test again. Once the batter spreads out a bit and starts to look glossy and smooth on top, on the parchment paper/silicone mat, it means it's ready.
• You don't want your batter to be too runny either. So be careful not to overmix. It's always best to undermix and test several times until the proper consistency has been achieved.
• When you hold the spatula with batter on top of the bowl and the batter falls off the spatula slowly but effortlessly the batter is ready. The batter will keep flowing off the spatula non-stop, but not too quickly. Transfer the batter to the piping bag.
• Place the piping bag directly 90 degrees over the center of each macaron template. Apply gentle pressure and carefully pipe for about 3 seconds, and then quickly pull the bag up twisting slightly.
• Once you've piped as many 1 1/2" circles as you could, bang the trays against the counter a few times each. This will release air bubbles that are in the batter and prevent the macaron shells from cracking.
• Let the trays sit for a while so the shells will dry out a little bit. I usually leave about 20-40 minutes, depending on how humid the day is. You'll know they're ready when you gently touch the surface of a macaron and it seems dry.
• Pre-heat the oven to 325F.
• Bake one tray at a time.
• Bake for 5 minutes, rotate tray.
• Bake for 5 more minutes. Rotate again.
• I bake each tray for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• When baked, the macarons will have a deeper color and formed feet. If you try to move a macaron, it shouldn't feel jiggly. If the macaron is still jiggly, keep baking.
• Remove from the oven and bake the other tray.
• Let the macarons cool down before proceeding with the filling.
• Cream the butter and cream cheese at medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer for about 1 minute. With the mixer off, add all of the powdered sugar in.
• On low speed, beat the sugar, butter and cream cheese together. Once they are incorporated, turn speed to medium and cream for 1-2 minutes until very fluffy. Add vanilla in, beat for a another 30-45 seconds.
• If the frosting seems too thick, add a teaspoon of milk to thin it out. If it seems too thin, add a bit more sifted powdered sugar to make it stiffer.
• Pipe some of the buttercream on top of a macaron shell and top it with another shell.
• Store macarons in the fridge for up to 5 days, and in the freezer for up to 2 months, in an airtight container.

NEAPOLITAN NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Because the pastry cream needs to be removed from the saucepan immediately, prepare a medium sized bowl, a fine mesh strainer or a food mill, and a heat resistant rubber spatula near the stove.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour with 1 cup of the sugar as well as the eggs until incorporated. The mixture will be very thick.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, the remaining cup of sugar and the salt. With a pairing knife, scrape the inside of the vanilla bean and place contents into the saucepan. Cook the mixture, stirring occasionally to prevent scalding. Remove from heat when the milk just begins to simmer. While whisking constantly, slowly pour about half of the milk in a thin stream into the flour mixture. Once the 2 mixtures are combined, continue whisking the combined flour and milk and return the contents to the saucepan with the remaining milk. Place the saucepan on medium heat while whisking constantly. Cook the mixture until it thickens, approximately 2 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat as soon as the first bubble breaks the surface of the pastry cream.
• Pour the hot pastry cream into the strainer or food mill over a medium sized bowl. With a spatula, push the cream through the strainer or food mill. To prevent a skin from forming, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the cream and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours, or overnight.
• Have packaged puff pastry unrolled on cutting board. Bake the puff pastry according to package directions. Spread layers of pastry cream between the baked puff pastry alternating optional flavors. Garnish with fruit or nuts and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

NEAPOLITAN DESSERT TACOS

Steps:

• For the pizzelles: Preheat a pizzelle maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the melted butter, milk and egg in a small bowl; add to the flour mixture and whisk until blended and smooth.
• Coat the pizzelle maker with cooking spray. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into the hot pizzelle maker; cook until set and slightly darker in color, 45 to 50 seconds. Use a small offset spatula to remove the pizzelles, and immediately drape the pizzelles over the handle of a wooden spoon (3/4 inch to 1 inch in diameter) to form a taco shape; let stand until completely cool, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and repeat with remaining batter.
• For the tacos: Combine the strawberries, sugar and mint in a medium bowl; let stand about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.
• Spoon 3 small scoops vanilla ice cream (about 2 tablespoons per scoop) into each pizzelle taco; top each with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the strawberry mixture.