Chocolate Mint Napoleons Recipes

NAPOLEONS

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.

STRAWBERRY NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Combine pudding mix and cold milk; fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Unfold pastry on a cool, lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 strips along fold marks, then cut each strip into four equal pieces. Place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet, and cool.
• Split pastries into 2 layers, setting the 8 best looking tops aside. Spread 8 bottom layers with dollops of the pudding mixture. Top each with a layer of strawberries, a small amount of pudding, and another pastry layer. (A small amount of the pudding mix on top of the berries will help keep the layers together.) Spread with remaining pudding mixture and strawberries, and top with remaining pastry layers (the best looking ones). Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar.

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.

WONTON NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Pour enough oil into small saucepan to come 1/4 inch up sides of pan. Heat oil over medium-low heat. Using tongs and working with 1 wonton at a time, submerge wontons into hot oil, frying until golden brown, about 15 seconds for first side and 10 seconds for second side. Transfer fried wontons to paper towels to drain (wontons will continue to color slightly as they cool). Sprinkle fried wontons with cinnamon. Cool completely.
• To Assemble:
• Place 4 fried wontons on work surface. Spread 1 tablespoon of whipped topping over each. Arrange 1 sliced strawberry and 2 to 3 raspberries over whipped topping on each wonton. Spoon 1 tablespoon of whipped topping over berries on each wonton. Top with another fried wonton. Repeat layering 2 more times. Spoon dollops of remaining whipped topping atop each cake stack. Garnish napoleons with remaining strawberries and raspberries, and mint sprigs (optional). Serve immediately.

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.

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 MINT NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• For sauce: Combine crème de menthe and sugar in small saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean; stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves; remove from heat; cool; strain into bowl.
• For mousse: Whisk yolks and ¼ cup sugar in small bowl to blend; bring ¼ cup cream to simmer in small saucepan; gradually whisk hot cream into egg mixture; return mixture to same saucepan; stir constantly over medium-low heat until custard thickens, about 1 minute (do not boil); reduce heat to low; add chocolate, crème de cacao and butter and stir until smooth; pour into large bowl; chill until cool, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes; beat ½ cup cream in small bowl to stiff peaks; fold cream into chocolate mixture; cover and chill.
• For Chocolate Bark: Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment; finely grind mints in processor; place half of chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water; stir until candy thermometer registers 115F; pour onto 1 prepared sheet; using spatula, spread chocolate to 1/16-inch thickness over parchment; sprinkle half of ground candies over half of chocolate; fold parchment in half to seal candies in chocolate; repeat with remaining chocolate and candies; cover and chill 1 to 24 hours; peel parchment off chocolate bark; break or cut each sheet of bark into 6 large irregular pieces, reserving any small pieces for garnish; place 1 bark piece on plate; spread scant 1/3 cup mousse over bark; place another bark piece on top of mousse; spread scant 1/3 cup mousse over; top with another bark piece; place dollop of mousse on top of chocolate and top with any smaller bark pieces, standing pieces upright; repeat with remaining bark and mousse; (Can be made 6 hours ahead; cover; chill).
• Serve napoleons with sauce.

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 NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F.
• Unfold pastry sheets. Cut each sheet into 12 squares; place on baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 min. or until puffed and golden brown. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Cut each square horizontally in half.
• Melt 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate as directed on package. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with whisk until blended. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Gently stir in COOL WHIP.
• Spoon 2 Tbsp. cream cheese mixture onto bottom half of each pastry square; cover with top of square. Melt white chocolate as directed on package; spoon into resealable plastic bag. Repeat with remaining semi-sweet chocolate, spooning chocolate into separate bag. Cut small piece off one bottom corner of each bag; use to drizzle chocolates over napoleons.