Orange Fool Napoleons Recipes

CENTERPIECE NAPOLEON WITH CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT MOUSSE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line 4 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• Crack the egg into a small bowl, then add 1 tablespoon water and beat until well mixed. Pour half into a separate small bowl. Add a few drops of red food coloring to the egg in one bowl and a few drops of yellow to the other.
• Unfold the puff pastry sheets and cut each into 3 rectangles, using the folded lines as a guide, for a total of 12 rectangles. Place 3 on each of the prepared sheet pans, leaving 2 to 3 inches in between each.
• Top each of two pans of puff pastry with a second piece of parchment and place a second sheet pan on top of the parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the top sheet pans and top pieces of parchment. Return to the oven and bake until puffed and golden brown on the bottom, an additional 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Top the remaining two pans of unbaked puff pastry with parchment and sheet pans and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the top sheet pans and parchment. Brush these partially-baked rectangles with red egg wash on one end and yellow on the other, overlapping the two in the middle to create an orange section. Return to the oven to finish the baking, another 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Make the filling in two batches so that it will fit in the mixer. Add half the cream cheese and half the powdered sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until light. Add 3 cups heavy cream and beat to stiff peaks. Add half the chocolate hazelnut spread, then fold in using a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Transfer to a piping bag or large resealable plastic bag fitted with a large closed-star tip and refrigerate until ready to use. Repeat the process with the second half of the filling ingredients, leaving this portion in the bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Split each of the puff pastry rectangles open horizontally using a serrated knife. Line up 6 of the bottom half puff pastry rectangles end-to-end down a long platter, using a dot of filling to secure to the platter if necessary. Pipe an even layer of filling down the puff pastry line. Top with 6 more puff pastry rectangles and repeat with filling and puff pastry twice more, refilling the piping bag as needed and ending with the colored puff pastry, lining them up with red ends touching. (See Cook's Note.)
• Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the puff pastry and top with broken pieces of Hazelnut Brittle.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Add the granulated sugar, corn syrup and 1 cup water to a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium-high heat until the syrup begins to turn golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling the pan gently, until the mixture is a deep amber color.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the nuts and salt. Pour immediately onto the prepared baking sheet. Spread into an even layer and let cool completely, then break into small pieces.

MANDARIN ORANGE NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Whisk together five-spice powder and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl.
• Cover phyllo with overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and a dampened kitchen towel. Arrange 1 phyllo sheet on a large baking sheet, then brush with some butter and sprinkle with one third of spiced sugar. Make 2 more layers in same manner. Top with remaining phyllo sheet and brush with remaining butter. (For a corrugated look, invert a large rectangular cooling rack and place it on top of phyllo.)
• Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully remove cooling rack (if using) and transfer phyllo (in 1 piece) with 2 metal spatulas to another rack to cool.
• While phyllo cools, blend together cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla, 2 tablespoons reserved orange syrup (discard remainder), and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in oranges.
• Break phyllo with your hands or cut with a serrated knife into 12 pieces. Arrange 1 piece of phyllo on a plate and top with a dollop of orange cream. Repeat layering and top with another piece of phyllo. Make 3 more napoleons in same manner. Dust with confectioners sugar.

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.

BLOOD ORANGE FOOL

Steps:

• In a small saucepan combine blood orange juice and peel, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and reduce to approximately 1 cup. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate syrup overnight. Strain out peel and pulp of orange. Whip cream to stiff peaks with 1/4 cup syrup. Spoon into blood orange halves. Sprinkle tops with almonds.

PEACH AND GOAT CHEESE NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Heat 2 1/2 cups water, the butter and cardamom in a medium saucepan over medium heat just to a simmer. Add the peaches, reduce the heat to low and cook until the peaches are very tender but not falling apart, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the liquid about 15 minutes and then drain and cool the fruit to room temperature. (This can also be done a couple hours ahead and the peaches can be left in the liquid until ready to assemble.)
• Blend the goat cheese with the cream, honey and orange zest in a small bowl.
• To assemble, pat the peaches dry with paper towels if very wet and place 6 on a large serving plate. Top each peach with some of the cheese mixture, a sprinkle of pistachios and another peach, followed by more cheese and pistachios and a third peach. Garnish each napoleon with a drizzle of honey, some more pistachios and a light sprinkling of orange zest and sea salt, if using.

NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry to 1/16-inch thick. Transfer pastry to a parchment-lined sheet pan and trim edges. With a fork prick surface all over and chill for 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover pastry with a second piece of parchment paper and weight down with a second sheet pan. Bake pastry for 10 minutes. Remove top sheet pan and parchment and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer pastry to a cooling rack.
• Make the filling: In a heavy saucepan combine the heavy cream, milk, and sugar. Using a knife scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the milk mixture and add the whole bean. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and allow to steep for one hour. Discard the bean or reserve for another use.
• Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees. Whisk the yolks into the cooled milk mixture and strain through a fine sieve into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the dish. Bake custard for 3/4 to 1 hour until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool; cover and chill for several hours or overnight. To assemble: Transfer pastry to a flat surface. Using a ruler measure out three 3 1/2 x 11-inch strips. With a serrated knife carefully cut the pastry using a gentle sawing motion. With a paring knife cut the custard into two 3 1/2 x 11-inch strips and cut each strip in half crosswise. With a long, wide offset spatula transfer a piece of custard onto a strip of pastry, covering half of it. Transfer a second piece of custard to fill the first layer. Top with a second strip of pastry, smooth side up, and repeat process. If necessary, smooth the sides of the napoleon with a knife so that they are stacked neatly.
• Using a serrated knife carefully slice the napoleon into individual serving pieces. Sift confectioner's sugar over the napoleon to form a thick coating. Heat skewers on stovetop burner until red-hot and brand the sugar with cross hatch marks.
• Recommended drink: 1993 Passito di Pantelleria, Nuova Agricoltura

BLUEBERRY NAPOLEON WITH ORANGE-BLUEBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the orange peel and sugar. Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Brush the phyllo with melted butter. Cover with another sheet of phyllo dough and brush it with butter. Repeat until all sheets are layered. Be sure to keep the phyllo sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel as you use them so they dont dry out. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Combine the orange-flavored liqueur, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and 3 cups blueberries in a large saucepan and place the pan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Strain.
• In a stand mixer, or using a hand held mixer, make the filling by blending together the cream cheese, sour cream, remaining orange zest, remaining confectioners' sugar, and ground coriander. When the filling is well-blended, gently stir in the blueberries.
• Cut the phyllo dough into 8 (4-inch) squares. Place a square of phyllo on each plate, and top with a dollop of filling; add another phyllo square, another dollop of filling, then top with blueberry sauce. Repeat the process to make 4 servings. Serve immediately.

ORANGE FOOLS

Steps:

• With a vegetable peeler remove 2 strips zest from orange (each about 3 by 1/2 inch) and mince.
• Squeeze enough juice from orange to measure 1/2 cup and in a small heavy saucepan simmer orange juice until reduced to 1/4 cup.
• Remove pan from heat and add sugar and butter to orange juice, whisking until butter is melted. Whisk in egg until combined well and cook mixture over moderately low heat, whisking, until thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and add zest to orange curd, whisking. Pour orange curd into a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir until cold.
• In another bowl beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks and fold into orange curd gently but thoroughly.
• Spoon orange fool into 2 chilled goblets.