Indulge in the delectable Vanilla Cream Napoleons, a symphony of crispy puff pastry, velvety vanilla cream, and luscious apricot glaze. Experience the perfect balance of textures and flavors in every bite. This recipe guide offers two variations of this classic dessert: the traditional Vanilla Cream Napoleons and a delightful Apricot Cream variation. Both versions promise an unforgettable culinary experience, perfect for special occasions or as a sweet treat to enjoy anytime.
Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!
NAPOLEONS
Golden puff pastry is layered with pastry cream and jam and then iced before being cut into bars.
Provided by Katherine
Categories Bread Yeast Bread Recipes
Time 2h
Yield 20
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Roll out three sheets of puff pastry, each to the same size and a thickness of 1/8 inch. Prick with a fork, and place on baking sheets.
- Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/2 cup milk with fingers until smooth. Stir in cake flour and half the sugar. Beat in egg yolks. Set aside.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, bring remaining milk and remaining sugar to a rolling boil. Stir in egg yolk mixture; continue stirring and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Let cool.
- In a small saucepan or in the microwave, heat the jam until runny.
- Place one sheet of pastry on a board. Spread with cooled pastry cream to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Place a second pastry sheet over the cream. Brush with fruit glaze. Spread remaining pastry cream over glaze. Top with final pastry sheet and gently compress layers, using a baking sheet to press.
- To make icing, beat together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice with enough of the egg whites to make a creamy consistency like that of a cream soup. Working quickly, color a small portion of the frosting with red food coloring. Frost the top and sides of the assembled pastry with white icing. Pipe parallel lines of red icing on top of dessert, then draw a pick or knife crosswise through icing to make the traditional design. Let icing set before cutting into bars.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 405.5 calories, Carbohydrate 60.5 g, Cholesterol 33.3 mg, Fat 16.4 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 5.6 g, SaturatedFat 4.8 g, Sodium 133.2 mg, Sugar 37.1 g
VANILLA CREAM NAPOLEONS
These bakery shop beauties are fun to recreate in your home kitchen, using frozen puff pastry sheet and pudding mix.
Provided by By Arlene Cummings
Categories Dessert
Time 40m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, unfold pastry sheets. Cut each sheet into 3 strips along fold marks. Place on cookie sheet; prick lightly with fork all over strips. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet and second cookie sheet.
- Bake about 5 minutes. Prick surfaces of pastries with fork to prevent pastries from rising too much during baking. Bake 10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Remove pastries from cookie sheets; cool 10 to 15 minutes.
- In large bowl, beat pudding mix, 2 cups milk, vanilla and sour cream with electric mixer on medium speed until soft pudding forms. Cover; refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes.
- In small bowl, stir powdered sugar and 3 teaspoons milk. If icing is too thick, stir in another teaspoon milk until spreadable consistency.
- On 1 pastry layer, spread about 3/4 cup pudding. Repeat with another pastry layer and 3/4 cup pudding. Top with third pastry layer. Spread icing over top. Set aside. Repeat to make second dessert with remaining pastries, pudding and icing.
- In microwavable small bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until chocolate can be stirred smooth. Drizzle chocolate back and forth across top of each dessert. Drag toothpick through chocolate and icing to create marbled appearance.
- Cut desserts into 2-inch slices. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 Serving
VANILLA BEAN PASTRY CREAM
The key to a great pastry cream is using the minimum of starch. You need enough so the cream holds a shape, but not so much it interferes with the flavor. This version uses cornstarch; just be careful not to keep cooking it once it has thickened. This is perfect in Napoleons, pies, tarts, or cakes.
Provided by Chef John
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European French
Time 2h30m
Yield 12
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Place whole egg and 2 egg yolks into a mixing bowl. Add sugar, corn starch, and salt. Whisk together completely until mixture turns from yellow to a very page creamy color and is slightly thickened, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Place milk in a saucepan. Split vanilla bean lengthwise. Scrape the cut side with a paring knife to extract the seeds (paste). Add the seeds to the milk. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until milk just barely starts to simmer and a few small bubbles appear on the surface. Remove from heat. Whisk hot milk into egg mixture, starting with a small splash then incorporating the rest. Pour mixture back into saucepan.
- Place pan over medium-low heat and continue to whisk until mixture begin to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool 5 minutes. Add chunks of butter and whisk until butter melts into the warm milk mixture. Pass mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove and chunks of cooked egg or vanilla seeds. Cover surface with plastic to keep it from discoloring; refrigerate until thoroughly chilled 2 to 3 hours.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 120.1 calories, Carbohydrate 13.9 g, Cholesterol 63.9 mg, Fat 6.3 g, Protein 2.3 g, SaturatedFat 3.6 g, Sodium 210.9 mg, Sugar 11.4 g
NAPOLEON CREMES
For the annual Christmas open house we host, I set out a buffet with lots of food and candies like these lovely layered treats. They're so creamy, and with a green pistachio layer of pudding peeking out, they're very merry. -Gloria Jesswein, Niles, Michigan
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 15m
Yield 4 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, coconut, sugar and cocoa. Stir in melted butter and vanilla. Press onto bottom of a greased 9-in. square baking dish. Refrigerate 30 minutes., For filling, beat softened butter until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, pudding mix and milk; beat until fluffy. Spread over crust. Refrigerate until firm, 1-1/2 to 2 hours., For topping, microwave chocolate chips and butter on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Cool. Spread over pudding layer. Refrigerate until set. Cut into bars.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 116 calories, Fat 7g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 17mg cholesterol, Sodium 102mg sodium, Carbohydrate 14g carbohydrate (10g sugars, Fiber trace fiber), Protein 1g protein
CLASSIC FRENCH NAPOLEON RECIPE - (3.9/5)
Provided by ctozzi
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- PUFF PASTRY: Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or plain brown paper; set aside. Unfold puff pastry sheet and trim edges to a 9-inch square. Cut pastry into nine 3-inch squares. Transfer pastry squares to the prepared baking sheets; prick pastry. Bake in a preheated oven for 18-23 minutes, or until golden. (Or bake according to package directions.) Carefully remove pastries from baking sheet. Cool on a rack. CREAM FILLING: In a heavy, medium saucepan stir together sugar, flour, and salt. Slowly stir in half-and-half or light cream. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Slowly stir about half of the hot mixture into beaten egg yolks. Return all to saucepan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap and cool just until warm without stirring. In a small mixing bowl beat whipping cream until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into warm pastry cream. GLAZE: In a medium mixing bowl combine confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Stir in enough boiling water to make a glaze of spreading consistency; set aside. ASSEMBLY: Use the tines of a fork to separate each pastry square horizontally into 3 layers. Note: If Using Fruit Jam or Preserves: Spread about 1 teaspoon of the raspberry or strawberry jam or preserves on each bottom layer. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pastry cream over raspberry preserves or if not using a layer of fruit jam or preserves, spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pastry cream on the bottom layer and preceed as follows: Top with middle pastry layers. Spread another 1 1/2 tablespoons of the pastry cream on each middle layer. Finally, top with remaining pastry layers. Spread glaze over top of napoleons, then drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill up to 1 hour.
LEMON CREAM NAPOLEON
Steps:
- In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine ricotta, lemon pudding and sour cream. Process until smooth. Add lemon zest and process for 1 minute. Mix until pudding consistency.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with kitchen parchment.
- In a small bowl, combine honey and warm water. Stir until honey dissolves. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush wrappers on both sides with honey water. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for approximately 8 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven, let cool.
- To serve, place one wrapper on a plate and spoon a dollop of pudding mixture. Repeat with another layer. Mix 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the whipped topping. Top third wrapper with a dollop of whipped topping. Garnish with a sprinkle of lemon zest.
NAPOLEON DESSERT | MILLE FEUILLE CREAM PASTRY
Layers of flaky French pastry and the most perfect vanilla pastry cream come together in this popular cream pastry, also known as a Mille Feuille. If you like this recipe, you'll also probably like this Cannoli Filled Napoleon.
Provided by Rebecca Blackwell
Categories French Pastries
Time 1h25m
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Thaw the puff pastry according to the package directions.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204.4 degrees C) and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unfold both sheets of pastry and divide each into thirds by cutting along the fold lines, giving you 6 rectangles of pastry. Lay the rectangles on the parchment covered baking sheet, spacing them about 1/4-inch apart.
- Cover the pastry with another sheet of parchment paper and lay another baking sheet on top. This will prevent the puff pastry from rising too much and give the pastry nice, flaky layers.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove the top baking sheet and the top layer of parchment and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown. (*Please read the note below abotu preventing your puff pastry from burning.)
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely before assembly.
- Lay one sheet of baked puff pastry on a serving dish and spread about a 1/2-inch thick layer of pastry cream evenly over the top. Layer another rectangle of pastry over the cream, repeat with another 1/2-inch thick layer of pastry cream and top with a third pastry rectangle. Press on the top of the Napoleon slightly just to evenly distribute the layers.
- Repeat with the remaining pastry rectangles and pastry cream. Cover the Napoleons with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (*See note below.)
- Dust the tops of each Napoleon with a thick layer of powdered sugar right before serving.
- Slice each Napoleon into 6 slices, using a serrated knife.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 385 calories, Carbohydrate 32 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 129 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 25 grams fat, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 8 grams protein, SaturatedFat 7 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 209 grams sodium, Sugar 11 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 16 grams unsaturated fat
LEMON CREAM AND RASPBERRY PHYLLO NAPOLEONS
Categories Milk/Cream Citrus Dessert Bake Kid-Friendly Raspberry Lemon Summer Chill Bon Appétit Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher Diabetes-Friendly Small Plates
Yield Makes 6
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- For Phyllo Squares:
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly oil 2 large baking sheets. Stack phyllo sheets on work surface. Trim to 10 1/2-inch square (reserve scraps for another use). Place 1 phyllo square on work surface (cover remaining phyllo with plastic wrap and damp kitchen towel). Sprinkle with 1 generous teaspoon sugar. Top with second phyllo square. Brush lightly with melted unsalted butter. Sprinkle with 1 generous teaspoon sugar. Top with third phyllo square. Sprinkle with 1 generous teaspoon sugar. Cut phyllo stack into 9 equal stacked squares. Arrange stacked phyllo squares an prepared baking sheet. Repeat layering and cutting with remaining 3 phyllo sheets, sugar and butter making total of 18 stacked phyllo squares. Bake until phyllo is golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to racks and cool completely.
- For Lemon Cream:
- Beat cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl until medium peaks form. Whisk lemon curd in another medium bowl until smooth. Add to cream mixture. Beat to stiff peaks.
- Spread 1 generous tablespoon lemon cream on each of 6 stacked phyllo squares. Top each with 6 raspberries. Layer each with 6 raspberries. Layer each with 1 phyllo square, 1 more tablespoon lemon cream and 6 raspberries (save any remaining lemon cream for another use). Top each with 1 phyllo square. Sift powdered sugar over desserts. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover loosely and refrigerate).
MILLE FEUILLE (NAPOLEON PASTRY SHEETS)
You don't need to make your own dough when frozen puff pastry sheets work just fine. The key is keeping the dough flat when baking which we do by 'docking' it, or pricking all over with the tines of a fork. These crispy, buttery sheets are the first step in making your own Napoleons.
Provided by Chef John
Categories 100+ Everyday Cooking Recipes
Time 55m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 2
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 683 calories, Carbohydrate 57.3 g, Fat 46.7 g, Fiber 1.8 g, Protein 8.9 g, SaturatedFat 11.8 g, Sodium 305 mg, Sugar 3 g
NAPOLEON CREAMS
Similar to a Canadian Nanaimo bar, but this recipe uses a package of instant vanilla pudding instead of custard powder which is not to easy to find in the U.S. Chill time is bake time. Yes the margarine is listed in 3 places.
Provided by mandabears
Categories Bar Cookie
Time 3h15m
Yield 44 bars
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a medium saucepan over low heat or in the microwave, combine 1/2 cup margarine or butter, cocoa, sugar and the vanilla extract.
- Stir until margarine melts.
- Add the egg.
- Stir until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Add graham crackers and coconut, mix well.
- Press into a greased 9x9 pan, I use cooking spray.
- Cream 1/2 cup margarine, milk, pudding mix, and powdered sugar.
- Beat until fluffy.
- Spread over crust.
- Chill until firm.
- Melt semi sweet morsels and 2 tablespoons margarine.
- Cool slightly.
- Spread over pudding layer.
- Chill until set.
- Cut into small bars to serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 128.4, Fat 7.5, SaturatedFat 2.8, Cholesterol 4.4, Sodium 107, Carbohydrate 14.9, Fiber 0.8, Sugar 11.9, Protein 0.9
Tips:
- For a richer flavor, use heavy cream instead of milk when making the pastry cream.
- To make the pastry cream ahead of time, simply cover it and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When you're ready to use it, let it come to room temperature for about an hour before using.
- If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off to pipe the pastry cream.
- To make the napoleons easier to cut, chill them for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
- For a special touch, you can sprinkle the napoleons with powdered sugar or fresh berries before serving.
Conclusion:
These vanilla cream napoleons are a delicious and elegant dessert that are perfect for any occasion. With their flaky puff pastry, creamy filling, and delicate flavor, they are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them. So next time you're looking for a special dessert to make, give these napoleons a try. You won't be disappointed!
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