Easy Cherry Mousse Napoleons Food

EASY CHERRY-FILLED NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Unfold pastry on a lightly floured surface; roll lightly to remove folds. Cut in half lengthwise. Cut each piece crosswise into 5 2" wide rectangles, and place on baking sheet. Bake 12- 14 minutes or until golden; remove to wire rack to cool.
• 2. Beat pudding mix and sour cream at low speed with an electric mixer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping.
• 3. Split pastry rectangles in half horizontally. Spoon about 3 tablespoons filling into bottom of halves, and top with 2 tablespoons of filling. Cover with top; drizzle with remaining fruit filling.

CHERRY MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine gelatin powder and cherries; fold in the whipped topping.

CHERRY MOUSSE

Steps:

• Add Jello into a small bowl and pour in boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved.
• Add cherries, cream cheese, cold water and vanilla extract in a blender. Pour in Jello mixture. Blend for 1 minute or until smooth.
• Pour mixture into a large bowl and whisk in Cool Whip until completely blended.
• Spoon mixture into dessert dishes and place in the fridge for 2 hours to set.
• To serve, top with Cool Whip and maraschino cherries, if desired.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Thaw pastry at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400.
• Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 strips along fold marks. Cut each strip into 6 rectangles. Place 2" apart on baking sheet.
• Bake 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.
• Place cream and cinnamon in bowl. Beat with electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold in melted chocolate pieces. Split pastries into 2 layers. Spread 18 bottom halves with chocolate cream. Top with remaining top halves. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.
• Drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
• TIP: *You can substitute 2 cups thawed frozen non-dairy or dairy whipped topping for heavy cream. Proceed as directed.

NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Make puff pastry strips: Lightly flour a clean work surface. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out dough into a 16-by-18-inch rectangle about 1/8 inch thick, being careful not to press too hard around the edges. Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut rectangle crosswise into thirds, with each strip 6 by 16 inches. Transfer to a baking sheet; dock, or pierce, the dough all over with a fork. Cover with plastic wrap; place in refrigerator 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer to oven; bake until strips are puffed and golden all over, about 14 minutes. Set a baking sheet directly on pastry strips, and continue baking until pastry is cooked through and well browned, about 6 minutes. Remove top baking sheet; bake 4 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a serrated knife, trim each to 4 1/4 by 12 inches.
• Make the glaze: In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream just to a boil. Place dark chocolate in a bowl, and pour hot cream over chocolate; whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is combined. Whisk in corn syrup. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
• Place white chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until chocolate is melted, and remove from heat. Let cool.
• Using an offset spatula, spread dark chocolate glaze over one side of the flattest puff pastry strip, making sure to coat entire surface. Place white chocolate in a piping cone; pipe thin lines 3/4 inch apart across width of chocolate-coated strip. To create the distinctive flourish, gently drag the tip of a paring knife or a skewer lengthwise through both coatings, in lines perpendicular to the white chocolate lines. Begin at one of the short ends, and make each line 3/4 inch apart. Alternate the direction each time.
• Place one of the unglazed puff pastry strips on a serving tray. Spread half the pastry cream over the top, leaving a 1/2-inch border all around. Top with remaining unglazed pastry strip; press down gently, and repeat with remaining pastry cream. Top with glazed pastry strip. Transfer to refrigerator, and chill 30 minutes uncovered. Using a long serrated knife, cut into six pieces, and serve.

CHERRY MOUSSE

Steps:

• Set aside 6 whole cherries, with stems if still attached.
• Pit the remaining cherries.
• Combine the pitted cherries and one tablespoon of the confectioner's sugar in a food processor.
• Puree until coarsely chopped.
• Whip the cream with the remaining confectioner's sugar until medium peaks form.
• Fold in the cherry puree and distribute the mouse among champagne flutes or small parfait glasses.
• Top with reserved cherries and serve immediately.
• The longer the mousse sits the darker the color.

CARAMEL MOUSSE NAPOLEON WITH CARAMEL SAUCE AND BERRIES

Steps:

• Make pastry layers:
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 15x12-inch rectangle. Using small sharp knife and long ruler, trim sheet to 13x10-inch rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise, forming two 13x5-inch rectangles. Pierce rectangles all over with fork; transfer to 1 ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet, transferring to another ungreased baking sheet. Brush rectangles with melted butter; sprinkle each with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar.
• Bake pastries 8 minutes. Reverse position of baking sheets and bake until pastries are golden, about 8 minutes longer. Cool pastries on sheets.
• Make caramel sauce and mousse:
• Pour 3 tablespoons water into ramekin or custard cup. Sprinkle with gelatin; let soften while preparing caramel sauce.
• Combine sugar, corn syrup and 3/4 cup water in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, frequently brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep golden brown, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 3/4 cups cream and butter (caramel will bubble up vigorously). Return to low heat; stir until any bits of caramel dissolve.
• Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce into glass measuring cup; set aside pan of caramel sauce. Place ramekin with gelatin mixture in small skillet of simmering water. Stir until gelatin dissolves and mixture is clear, about 1 minute. Mix gelatin into measured 1 1/2 cups hot caramel; cool just to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
• Beat chilled whipping cream in large bowl to medium-firm peaks (do not overbeat). Gradually pour cooled caramel-gelatin mixture over cream, folding constantly but gently. Chill mousse 15 minutes.
• Assembly and final decoration:
• Arrange 3 pastry rectangles on large clean baking sheet; drizzle each with 2 tablespoons caramel from pan. Spread 1 cup mousse evenly over each rectangle. Chill until mousse begins to set, about 1 hour. Reserve plain pastry rectangle.
• Place 1 pastry layer with mousse on small baking sheet or board. Top with second layer, third layer, then plain pastry, aligning layers. Press assembled pastry lightly so that layers will adhere. Cover; chill at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Cover and chill remaining caramel sauce in pan.
• Using serrated knife, cut pastry crosswise into 6 pieces. Dust napoleons with powdered sugar. Transfer to plates. Rewarm sauce over low heat just until pourable; drizzle sauce onto each plate. Garnish with berries.