Chocolate Coconut Napoleon Recipes

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE COCONUT COOKIES

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
• Mix oats and coconut in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.
• Stir sugar, cocoa powder, milk, and margarine together in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture is smooth. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over the oats and coconut and quickly mix to coat. Drop by tablespoon onto prepared baking sheet; let cookies cool and harden. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE COCONUT NEAPOLITANS

Steps:

• Line a 9x5-in. loaf pan with waxed paper; set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Divide dough into thirds. Add almond extract and red food coloring to 1 portion; spread evenly into prepared pan. Add coconut to second portion; spread evenly over first layer. Add chocolate syrup to third portion; spread over second layer. Cover with foil; freeze for 4 hours or overnight., Unwrap loaf and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each portion widthwise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° until edges are lightly browned, 12-14 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip 1 end of each cookie into chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

CHOCOLATE PHYLLO NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, combine the butter and cocoa to make "cocoa butter".
• Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the pan and brush with cocoa butter. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons of sugar, then place another sheet of phyllo on top. Brush with cocoa butter, sprinkle with sugar, lay another sheet of phyllo on top, brush with cocoa butter, and sprinkle with sugar. Cover the stack with parchment paper. Place another pan on top to weight it down. Then place another, empty sheet pan on the very top. (This is to keep the phyllo from buckling during baking).
• Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the phyllo is dark brown. It's very difficult to tell, as it's so chocolate-y looking as it is. Remove the whole stack of sheet pans and let cool (do not unstack the pans).
• To assemble the dessert, break the phyllo up into random pieces about 3-inches square. Place a dab of mascarpone on each of 4 plates and press 1 phyllo piece down on it. Spoon on a heaping tablespoon of mascarpone in the center and surround it with raspberries. Place another phyllo piece on top and repeat, topping off with a final phyllo piece. Garnish with a mint sprig, a dusting of powdered sugar, and raspberry puree, if desired.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Make hazelnut crème:
• Melt chocolate with Nutella and keep warm.
• Beat cream with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks, then chill.
• Beat egg and yolks in cleaned mixer bowl with cleaned beaters at high speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil in a 1-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Continue to boil, undisturbed, until candy thermometer registers 238°F (soft-ball stage; you will need to tilt pan to get temperature), about 4 minutes.
• Reduce mixer speed to medium and add hot sugar mixture to eggs in a slow steam (try to avoid beaters and side of bowl), then beat until mixture is pale, thick, tripled in volume, and completely cool, about 5 minutes.
• Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Fold in one third of whipped cream to lighten, then fold in remaining whipped cream gently but thoroughly. Chill at least 4 hours.
• Candy hazelnuts:
• Line a baking pan with foil (shiny side up).
• Heat sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber. Add hazelnuts, stirring until coated. Transfer to foil and cool completely, then coarsely chop.
• Bake pastry:
• Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Line a large heavy baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll out puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 17- by 10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Transfer to baking sheet, then cover with a sheet of parchment and top with a heavy baking sheet or sheet pan to weight down. Bake until pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, stir together corn syrup and water.
• Remove top baking sheet and parchment. Generously brush pastry with corn syrup mixture and cover with parchment, then invert pastry and brush other side with corn syrup mixture. Replace parchment and baking sheet and bake until deep golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim edges of pastry, then halve lengthwise and cut each half into 8 equal rectangles for a total of 16 rectangles.
• Assemble dessert:
• Arrange 8 rectangles on a baking sheet and dust with confectioners' sugar to cover. (To mark pastry decoratively, see cooks' note, below.)
• Dab a small amount of hazelnut crème in center of 8 plates, then put an undecorated pastry rectangle on top. Divide remaining hazelnut crème among pastry rectangles. Sprinkle with some of the candied hazelnuts and top with decorated pastry rectangles. Sprinkle with more candied hazelnuts.
• Do Ahead
• Hazelnut crème can be chilled up to 2 days. Candied hazelnuts keep in an airtight container 3 weeks. Pastry can be baked 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

NEAPOLITAN COCONUT STRIPS

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch square cake pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides. Combine white chocolate, condensed milk, butter, salt, and vanilla seeds in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in both types of coconut.
• Divide mixture among 3 bowls. Stir milk chocolate into 1 batch and food coloring into another. Leave third plain.
• Spread milk-chocolate mixture into bottom of pan. Gently dollop plain mixture over top, covering as much surface as possible. Gently spread, then repeat with the remaining mixture. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Unmold coconut square using plastic overhang, and discard plastic. Trim about 1/4 inch each from 2 parallel sides. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide slices. Cut each slice into 1 1/2-inch-long strips. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

CHOCOLATE NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 12-in. square. Cut into twelve 4x3-in. rectangles. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 400° for 9-12 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool., In a small bowl, whisk milk and sour cream until smooth. Add pudding mix; whisk for 2 minutes or until blended. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. , To assemble, split each pastry in half. Spoon pudding mixture over bottom halves and replace tops. Combine confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth; drizzle over top. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Serve immediately.

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F.
• Melt 3-1/2 oz. chocolate as directed on package; cool.
• Beat pudding mix, milk, coffee concentrate and vanilla in medium bowl with mixer 2 min. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Cut pastry sheet crosswise into 3 rectangles; place in single layer on parchment-covered baking sheet. Prick all over with fork; cover with additional parchment paper, then second baking sheet. Bake 15 min.
• Uncover pastry pieces; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake additional 8 to 10 min. or until golden brown. Cool 15 min.
• Stack pastry pieces on serving plate, filling layers with pudding mixture. Gently press down on top of Napoleon to secure.
• Whisk powdered sugar and water until blended; spread onto top of Napoleon. Melt remaining chocolate; pour into resealable plastic bag. Cut small piece off one bottom corner off of bag; use to pipe chocolate into 3 lengthwise lines on top of Napoleon. Drag toothpick crosswise over chocolate lines. Wipe toothpick clean, then drag, in opposite direction, across chocolate lines next to first swirled lines. Repeat until chocolate is evenly swirled on top of Napoleon to resemble photo. Refrigerate 30 min. or until chocolate is firm.

CHOCOLATE AND RASPBERRY NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Line a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside. Place raspberries (if using fresh raspberries, reserve 1/2 cup for garnish) in a medium skillet over medium heat. Simmer until raspberries begin to break down and liquid is released, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer raspberries to a food processor, and puree, about 20 seconds. Pass through a fine sieve. Set aside to cool.
• Fill a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Bring a stockpot 1/4 full of water to a boil. Let simmer. In a medium stainless-steel bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 2 tablespoons sugar, corn syrup, and kirsch or champagne; place over simmering water. Whisking constantly, cook until mixture thickens (when whisk is lifted over the mixture, the ribbonlike trail it leaves on the surface should hold its shape for 1 or 2 seconds), about 4 minutes. Transfer bowl to the ice-water bath; whisk mixture while it cools. Add 3/4 cup raspberry puree to mixture; whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. While mixer is running, gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar; beat until very stiff, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Beat cream with whisk attachment until stiff; fold into egg whites.
• Fold raspberry mixture into egg whites and cream. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan; cover with plastic wrap. Transfer to the freezer; freeze until hardened, at least 4 hours. This can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.
• To make the raspberry sauce, stir superfine sugar into the remaining raspberry puree (about 2 tablespoons). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• To serve, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter (2 1/2 inches across at the widest point) to cut out 4 hearts from the semifreddo. Divide the raspberry sauce between 2 dessert plates. Place a chocolate heart, off center, on top of the raspberry sauce. Place a semifreddo heart on each chocolate heart and repeat layering until there are 3 layers of chocolate and 2 layers of semifreddo, ending with a chocolate heart. Garnish with the reserved fresh raspberries (if using), sift confectioners' sugar over the raspberries, if desired.

CHOCOLATE NAPOLEON

Steps:

• On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, roll out Puff Pastry to a 12-inch square, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a pastry cutter or pizza wheel, cut square into three 12-by-4-inch strips. Transfer dough and parchment to a large baking sheet; prick all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap; chill in the refrigerator or freezer until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F.
• Transfer sheet to oven; bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until pastry is puffed and golden around the edges, about 10 minutes. Set another baking sheet directly on pastry strips and continue baking until pastry is light golden in the center, 6 to 8 minutes more. Remove top baking sheet; bake until pastry is baked through and golden brown, 6 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, corn syrup, and 1 tablespoon milk. If the mixture is too thick to pour, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the consistency of sour cream. Transfer a quarter of the glaze to a small bowl; whisk in cocoa. Transfer chocolate glaze to a paper cornet; set aside.
• Pour white glaze onto one of the pastry strips; spread evenly with an offset spatula. Cut the tip of the paper cornet, and pipe lines of chocolate glaze crosswise over the white glaze, about 1/2 inch apart. Drag the tip of a wooden skewer down the length of the glazed strip, in alternating directions, to create a decorative pattern.
• Fit a pastry bag with a 5/8-inch plain tip (such as an Ateco #808) and fill with half of the Chocolate Pastry Cream. Pipe an even layer onto another pastry strip. Top with the remaining pastry strip, pressing gently to secure. Fill the pastry bag with remaining pastry cream, and pipe evenly onto the strip. Place the glazed pastry on top. Once assembled, the Napoleon is best eaten the same day; slice with a serrated knife.
• A pastry strip is spread with an even layer of white glaze. After piping lines of chocolate glaze on top, a wooden skewer is used to create a decorative finish.
• The other pastry strips are layered with Chocolate Pastry Cream before being topped with the glazed strip.

JACQUES TORRES' CHOCOLATE COCONUT NAPOLEON

Steps:

• For the Chocolate Cream: The base of the chocolate cream is a creme anglaise, which is poured over chocolate to make a ganache. Pour half of the sugar into a small mixing bowl and set the remaining sugar aside. Add the egg yolks and whisk until well combined. The mixture should be thick, smooth, and homogenous.
• Pour the heavy cream, milk, and remaining sugar into a non-reactive 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan, place it over medium-high heat, and bring to a boil. Temper the egg mixture with the hot mixture by carefully pouring about 1/3 of the hot mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk immediately to keep the eggs from scrambling.
• Pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan and place over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. The liquid will begin to thicken. When it reaches 182 degrees on a candy thermometer and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, it is finished and should be removed from the heat. If you do not have a thermometer, you can tell that it is finished by using the following method: In one quick motion, dip the spatula into the creme anglaise and hold it down horizontally in front of you. With the tip of your finger, wipe a clean line down the center of the spatula. If the trail keeps its shape, the creme anglaise is ready. If the trail fills with liquid, cook it for another minute and repeat the test. The objective is to remove the creme anglaise from the heat just before it boils. If the creme anglaise boils, the egg yolks will scramble. If this happens, you can still use it if you mix it with a hand-held immersion blender, food processor, or a blender. You will need a blade to liquefy the scrambled egg pieces. Remove from the heat.
• Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-size mixing bowl and make a ganache by pouring the creme anglaise over the chocolate in two or three additions. Use a hand whisk to incorporate fully after each addition. The ganache should be thick, shiny, and smooth.
• Whisk in the Grand Marnier. Place in the refrigerator to cool and set. As the cream cools, the cocoa butter in the chocolate will harden and hold everything together. The cream will also become more flavorful as it cools. If you have time, make this a day in advance to give the chocolate flavor time to develop. (The chocolate cream can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.)
• For the Coconut Tuiles: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine the coconut, sugar, eggs, and butter in a medium-size mixing bowl and mix with a hand whisk until well combined. Place a silicon mat on a baking sheet. (If you do not have a silicon mat, you can use a nonstick baking sheet.) Use a small offset spatula dipped in water to spread 4-inch circles of the tuile batter on the mat or baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake until evenly light golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow the tuiles to cool on a wire rack.
• To Assemble: Place one tuile in the center of each plate. Dip a large spoon in hot water and roll it through the chocolate cream to form a quenelle, or egg-shaped scoop, of chocolate cream. Place the chocolate cream in the center of the tuile and repeat for the remaining plates. Top with a second tuile and another quenelle of chocolate cream. Top each with a third tuile. Garnish the plate with the chocolate sauce and creme anglaise. You could also use fresh berries in season or chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.