Napoleon
Ingredients
- 1 lb all-purpose flour
- 12 oz cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 8 oz ice water
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 5 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 8 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao), chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Make pâte feuilletée: Mix flour and salt, then cut in cold butter cubes until pea-sized. Add ice water gradually until dough just comes together. Wrap and chill 30 minutes. Roll between parchment to 1/8-inch thickness, fold into thirds 4 times (turning 90 degrees between folds, chilling 10 minutes between each), then chill 15 minutes. Cut into twelve 3x4-inch rectangles, prick with fork, brush with egg wash, and bake at 400°F for 12-14 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool completely.
- Make pastry cream: Heat milk with scraped vanilla bean and pod to just below boiling. Whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale, then whisk in cornstarch. Temper yolks by slowly whisking in hot milk while whisking constantly. Pour mixture back into pot and cook over medium heat, whisking continuously for 2-3 minutes until thickened and it coats the back of a spoon at 185°F. Strain through fine sieve, press plastic wrap directly onto surface, and chill to room temperature.
- Make chocolate ganache: Heat cream to 180°F, pour over chopped chocolate and butter, let sit 1 minute, then whisk until glossy and smooth. Whisk in corn syrup. Let cool to 95°F before using (about 15 minutes).
- Make royal icing: Whisk powdered sugar with 3-4 tbsp water until smooth and spreadable, consistency of thick paint. Divide into two portions; tint one with dark cocoa powder for stripes.
- Assemble: Place one pastry rectangle on work surface. Spread thin layer of pastry cream (about 3 tbsp) evenly on top. Repeat with second rectangle, creating two-layer stack. Top with third rectangle. Repeat to build three identical three-layer stacks.
- Glaze and decorate: Spread thin layer of chocolate ganache on top of each napoleon stack. While ganache is still wet, pipe cocoa-tinted royal icing in thin parallel lines across top, then drag a skewer perpendicular through lines to create feathered pattern. Let set at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.
- Plate and serve: Place napoleon on chilled plate. Serve within 2 hours while puff pastry remains crisp and cream is cool.
Inspired by Francois Payard’s winning napoleon. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.