French Napoleon Pastry Recipe
A classic French Napoleon Pastry recipe featuring flaky puff pastry layered with smooth vanilla bean pastry cream and topped with a delicate white and chocolate glaze. This elegant dessert combines crisp baked puff pastry sheets with rich, creamy filling and decorative icing for a timeless treat perfect for special occasions.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Pastry Cream
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean (split, seeds scraped out, bean reserved)
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Puff Pastry
- 1 package puff pastry (Thawed, approximately 1 pound; usually comes in 2 pieces)
Glaze
- 1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)
- 4-6 tbsp milk (whole or 2%)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream: In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk with the split vanilla bean and seeds. Heat over medium heat until it just begins to simmer. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together cornstarch, granulated sugar, egg yolks, and kosher salt. Whisk in heavy cream until smooth.
- Combine milk and egg mixture: Remove vanilla bean pod from hot milk. Gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Then transfer the combined mixture back into the saucepan.
- Cook the pastry cream: Over medium heat, whisk constantly, scraping the bottom to prevent scorching. Bring to a full boil to activate the cornstarch and thicken the cream. Continue whisking until the cream thickens enough to leave visible streaks when stirred. Remove from heat and whisk in the unsalted butter until glossy and smooth.
- Chill the pastry cream: Transfer the pastry cream to a heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.
- Prepare puff pastry sheets: Stack the two thawed puff pastry sheets on parchment paper and roll into an even 12×12-inch square. Trim edges for uniformity, then cut into three 4×12 inch strips. Transfer strips onto a parchment-lined baking sheet with space between each.
- Dock and chill pastry: Prick the dough all over with a fork to prevent puffing and chill in the refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Bake puff pastry: Bake the strips for 10 minutes until edges start to turn golden. Lower oven temperature to 375°F (191°C). Place a second baking sheet on top of the pastry strips to keep them flat and bake for 8 more minutes.
- Finish baking pastry: Remove the top baking sheet and continue baking until the pastry is golden brown on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning. Let cool completely.
- Prepare glazes: In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioner’s sugar, light corn syrup, melted butter, and enough milk to achieve a pourable but thick consistency. Set aside ¼ of the white glaze and mix in cocoa powder to make the chocolate glaze. Transfer the chocolate glaze to a piping bag fitted with a ⅛-inch tip.
- Glaze the top layer: Pour the white glaze evenly onto one pastry strip, smoothing with an offset spatula. Pipe horizontal lines of chocolate glaze about ½ inch apart over the white glaze. Drag the tip of a toothpick vertically down the length in alternating directions to create a feathered pattern. Let set for 10 minutes.
- Assemble layers with pastry cream: Fit a pastry bag with a ½-inch round tip and fill with half of the chilled pastry cream. Pipe an even layer on one of the remaining unglazed pastry strips. Refill with remaining pastry cream and pipe evenly onto the last pastry strip. Stack these two cream-filled layers on a serving platter.
- Complete the Napoleon: Place the glazed puff pastry strip on top of the stacked cream layers. Using a serrated knife, slice the Napoleon into servings. Serve immediately for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Pressing plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream prevents a skin from forming.
- Using a second baking sheet as a weight during baking keeps the puff pastry flat and helps achieve the classic layered look.
- Tempering the eggs with hot milk prevents curdling and ensures a smooth pastry cream.
- The feathered glaze decoration is a classic technique that adds elegant visual appeal.
- This dessert can be assembled up to a few hours ahead but is best eaten the same day to keep the puff pastry crisp.
Find it online: https://cheftinaskitchen.com/french-napoleon-pastry-recipe/
