Quick Pear Napoleans Recipes

PECAN DUSTED PUFF PASTRY CARAMELIZED PEAR NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Preheat 400 degrees F.
• Chop the pecans to the consistency of rough crumbs. Toss with the butter, sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl. Spread the mixture out onto a baking sheet and cook in the oven 7 to 10 minutes, until darkened and lightly caramelized. Set aside to cool.
• Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface to 1/16-inch thickness. Cut the puff pastry sheet into 12 squares, approximately 3 by 3 inches. Lay out on a baking sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until puffed and golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• Melt the butter with both the sugars in a skillet over medium heat. Add the pears. Cook until pears are just tender and juices thicken to a syrup consistency, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Whip the cream, granulated sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until it forms soft peaks.
• Place a puff pastry square in the center of a serving bowl or plate. Top with a few pears, whipped cream and pecan pieces. Repeat this process 2 more times ending with a sprinkle of nuts.

PEAR, BLUE CHEESE, AND FIG NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Cut each pear lengthwise into 10 (1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick) slices (5 from one side, then 5 more from the opposite side), avoiding core and discarding rounded outermost slices.
• Layer 4 pear slices with cheese and fig on each of 4 plates, beginning with largest pear slices, and ending with smallest.
• Sprinkle any remaining cheese and fig around napoleons.

BEET AND PEAR NAPOLEONS WITH GINGER JUICE VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
• Wrap beets in foil and roast until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Let stand until cool enough to handle, then slice crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, finely grate ginger with a Microplane over a kitchen-towel-lined bowl. Carefully gather towel around ginger and squeeze until you have 2 tablespoons ginger juice. Whisk in orange juice, sugar, and oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide vinaigrette evenly between 2 small bowls.
• Cut pears lengthwise around core into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut out 18 rounds from slices using cookie cutter and put in one bowl of vinaigrette.
• Cut out 18 rounds from beet slices and put in other bowl. Toss pears and beets with vinaigrette to coat well.
• To assemble napoleons, put 1 beet round on each of 6 plates (see cooks' note, below) and top with a tarragon leaf. Top with 1 pear round, then another tarragon leaf. Repeat layering 2 more times. Discard vinaigrette used for beets.
• Toss greens with some of remaining vinaigrette and place around each napoleon. Finely grate apple (including skin) into a bowl. Spoon a heaping teaspoon apple on top of each napoleon, then sprinkle with sea salt and poppy seeds. Drizzle with more vinaigrette if desired.

PEAR AND BERRY NAPOLEON

Steps:

• For the Pears: Put wine, juice, cinnamon, lemon juice, and sugar substitute in a pot, and bring to a boil. Take off the heat and add some clear glaze to slightly thicken the mixture. Add the sliced pears to the mixture and cool.
• Pastry Cream: Bring to a boil the milk, margarine, and split vanilla bean. Combine eggbeaters, sugar, and cornstarch and add to boiled milk. Cook until thick. Fold pastry cream with some whipped cream.
• Napoleon Sheets: Cut phyllo into rectangle shape. Spray each layer with vegetable spray (4 layers total). Sprinkle top with sugar substitute and bake until golden brown. Each set of Napoleon requires 3 rectangles per order.
• Pear and Berry Napoleon Assembly: In the center of a plate, layer a dollop of pastry cream, a phyllo square, a dollop of cream and berries. Repeat with another phyllo square, pastry cream, and berries. Top with phyllo square and a light sprinkle of powdered sugar. Spoon pears around. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

PEAR PECAN NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Pears: Place the pears, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and cinnamon in a large saute pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the pears are soft and most of the liquid has evaporated, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Pecan Paste: In a food processor, finely grind the pecans and granulated sugar. Place the pecan mixture in a small bowl and add the water, orange zest, and salt. Mix just until combined.
• Puff Pastry: On a lightly floured work surface, roll the piece of puff pastry into a 16-inch square. Cut into 4 rectangles, each 4 inches wide by 16 inches long. With a fork, pierce small holes all over the pastry. Place the rectangles on two baking sheets. Freeze or refrigerate until firm.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Place a second baking sheet or an inverted wire mesh rack on top of the puff pastry to prevent it from rising as it bakes. Bake until golden brown, 10-15 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• Assembly: Spread 1/3 of the pecan paste on one of the rectangles of puff pastry. Carefully layer 1/3 of the pears over the pecan paste. Layer two more pieces of pastry with the remaining pecan paste and pears in the same manner. Using a wide metal spatula, carefully stack these three pieces of pastry.
• In a small bowl mix together the sugar and the cinnamon. Dust the fourth piece of puff pastry with the cinnamon sugar and place it on top of the stacked layers of pastry.Using a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, trim the edges of the napoleon so that they are even. In the same manner, cut the napoleon into 8 pieces and serve a portion on each of 8 plates.

QUICK PEAR NAPOLEANS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in upper third.
• Roll out pastry with a floured rolling pin on a lightly floured surface into about a 16-inch square. Trim edges. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place another baking sheet on top. Bake until golden and cooked through, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove top baking sheet from pastry and transfer pastry to a rack to cool completely.
• While pastry cools, beat heavy cream with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks. Fold in sour cream gently but thoroughly.
• Meanwhile, cook sugar in a dry large heavy skillet over medium heat until it begins to melt, then continue to cook, stirring with a fork, until it is completely melted and golden. Stir in reserved pear syrup and boil, stirring, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in pears. Remove from heat and swirl in butter until combined.
• Cut pastry into 8 rectangles with a large knife. Place half of rectangles on 4 serving plates. Spread cream mixture over pastry, then spoon pears with caramel over top. Place remaining pastry rectangles on top.