Napoleons

Time 1½ hrs
Makes 8-10 slices
Calories 513 Fat 18.3g of which 7.4g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians

Ingredients

For the pastry
Ready-rolled frozen puff pastry 2 x 375g packets, thawed

For the pastry cream
Egg yolks 3
Caster sugar 200g (7oz)
Plain flour 50g (2oz)
Cornflour 25g (1oz)
Milk 500ml (18fl oz)
Vanilla extract ½ tsp

For the glacé icing
Vanilla extract ¼ tsp
Icing sugar 225g (8oz), sifted

For the chocolate drizzle
Dark chocolate

Equipment

25g (1oz) Baking sheets and/or trays
Baking paper
Cling film
Icing pen or piping bag

Secrets of pastry cream

Pastry cream or crème pâtissière is a thick custard sauce used in open fruit tarts and in many small pastry delicacies.

The recipe here uses cornflour to thicken the sauce; many recipes use custard powder instead. Both work well, but custard powder will give a yellow finish, whereas cornflour gives a cream-coloured result. Cook the sauce until it is really thick.

Making the pastry layers

1 Preheat oven to 220°C(200°fan)/425°F/Gas 7. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper. Lay unrolled puff pastry sheets on prepared baking sheets, and prick them all over with a fork. Lay another baking sheet on top of each sheet of pastry. You may need to do this in batches.

2 Bake for 18–23 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Carefully remove pastry onto a rack to cool. Cut each sheet in half and trim edges. You will have one spare piece.

Making the pastry cream

3 Beat egg yolks and sugar until white, add flour and cornflour and mix well. Add ¼ of milk to loosen mixture. Put remaining milk and vanilla extract into a pan and bring to boil. Pour onto eggs, stir well, return to heat and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens. Transfer to a bowl. Cover surface with cling film and cool completely without stirring.

Making the glacé icing

4 Add vanilla extract to icing sugar and whisk in boiled water, spoon by spoon, until you get a good spreading consistency.

Creating the Napoleons

5 Lay one sheet of cooked pastry onto a board and spread it with a thick layer of pastry cream. Lay a second sheet of pastry on top and spread on another layer of pastry cream.

6 Put on final layer of pastry and spread with an even layer of glacé icing.

7 Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and put it into an icing pen or piping bag with a fine nozzle. Draw horizontal chocolate lines at regular intervals over surface of the icing.

8 Take a metal skewer and lightly drag it diagonally across lines to make an attractive pattern. Leave to set before slicing carefully with a sharp knife into individual servings.

These exquisite pastries are taken from the 2016 Dairy Diary available now.

And now…..

I always wish I was allowed to enter out competitions (sadly I cannot) but on this occasion I REALLY wish I could win.

I am going to leave pictures of this
prize around the house and hope
that ‘Father Christmas’ gets the hint.

Good luck everyone – these baking products are just gorgeous.

Win This Very Special Christmas Baking Set

Our most-wanted Christmas baking products, including a stunning hand-engraved wooden rolling pin, which cleverly embosses a Christmas tree design onto pastry, biscuits or icing; a beautiful Denby Heritage Pavilion mixing bowl; and a handmade wooden spoon.

#tripletested

#recipeoftheweek

#win

#competition