Eberhards Alpine Strawberry Napoleon Food

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.

EBERHARD'S ALPINE STRAWBERRY NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Unfold puff pastry, and place on two baking sheets. Bake until the dough has puffed but is still soft and not yet browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Set a wire rack directly on top of the dough, and press gently to flatten to about 1/8 inch. Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
• Transfer pastry to a cutting board. Increase the oven temperature to 475 degrees. Using a serrated knife, cut the pastry into eighteen 2-by-3-inch rectangles. (If you have extra pastry, cut out a few more rectangles to replace any that break.) Evenly dust the pastry with 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Return the pastry to the baking sheet, and bake until the sugar is melted to a glaze, and the pastry is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a rack, and let cool. (This can also be done under a broiler, watched very closely.)
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine heavy cream and creme fraiche. Add vanilla seed scrapings and the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar; whisk until stiff.
• To assemble the Napoleons, transfer the whipped cream into a disposable pastry bag. Cut off about 1/2 inch of the tip of the bag with scissors. Pipe a 1/4-inch-thick layer of whipped cream over twelve of the pastry rectangles. Top with a single layer of berries. Stack six of the filled pastries on top of the other six. Top each stack with a plain pastry. Place each Napolean on a dessert plate, and drizzle about 2 tablespoons raspberry coulis around the pastry.

STRAWBERRY NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Sprinkle gelatine over milk in small saucepan; let stand 1 min. Cook on low heat 3 min. or until gelatine is completely dissolved, stirring constantly. Add sugar; stir until dissolved. Cool slightly.
• Place yogurt, ricotta cheese and lemon zest in blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Gradually add gelatine mixture, blending well after each addition. Pour into medium bowl; cover. Refrigerate 30 min. or until slightly thickened.
• Stir in strawberries. Refrigerate an additional 30 min. or until mixture is of mounding consistency. Top each of 12 graham squares with 2 Tbsp. of the strawberry mixture; cover each with a second graham square. Repeat layers once. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Store leftover desserts in refrigerator.

STRAWBERRY NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Thaw the frozen puff pastry by placing it in room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Once thawed, unfold the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut it into 3 strips along the fold mark.
• Cut each of the 3 strips into 4 rectangles; you will have a total of 12 same sized rectangles.
• Place the pastry rectangles on a baking sheet about an inch apart and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until the pastry is puffed and golden brown.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the pastry cool.
• In the meantime, make the vanilla pudding according to the package directions using the cold milk.
• Fold in the whipped cream into the set vanilla pudding.
• Now break apart each pastry rectangle into 2 layers - top and bottom; you now have 24 rectangles.
• Keep aside 8 top layers.
• Line up 8 bottom parts and spoon ½ of the vanilla mixture on them, dividing equally between the 8 pastries.
• Top with strawberry slices and another piece of pastry.
• Repeat with the remaining vanilla mixture and strawberry slices.
• Top with the reserved pastry tops.
• Garnish with a few slices of strawberry and a dusting of powdered sugar.
• Either serve immediately or the patries can be refrigerated for upto 3 hours.
• Note that the preparation time does not include time to thaw the pastry.

STRAWBERRY NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• To make the pastry cream, add the egg yolks to a medium sized bowl and gently beat them together. Set aside.
• 2. Add the sugar, cornstarch and milk to a large saucepan and mix until smooth.
• 3. Cook, stirring continuously, over medium-high heat until mixture begins to thicken and bubble.
• 4. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• 5. Add a little bit of milk mixture to the egg yolks and whisk together, then add egg mixture to milk mixture. This process ensures that you don't scramble the egg yolks.
• 6. Place the pan back on the heat and bring to a light boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
• 7. Remove from heat and add butter and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth, then top with clear wrap that touches the top of the cream (it helps prevent a film from forming on top). Refrigerate until cool and ready to use.
• 8. Remove the two sheets of puff pastry from the box and cut each set into 3 strips, for a total of 6 strips.
• 9. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 13 minutes.
• 10. Remove them from the oven and allow to cool. Press the baked pastry down just a bit, if needed so they layers are relatively flat.
• 11. To finish making the pastry cream, add the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar to a large mixer bowl and whip until stiff peaks form.
• 12. Gently fold the whipped cream into the pastry cream.
• 13. To layer everything together, place a layer of puff pastry onto a serving plate and top it with some chopped strawberries.
• 14. Pipe or spread some pastry cream on top of the berries, then repeat another layer of puff pastry, strawberries and pastry cream.
• 15. Top off the pastry with a third pastry strip on top. Repeat steps 13 through 15 with the remaining puff pastry, pastry cream and strawberries.
• 16. To make the icing, add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Spread the icing onto the top of the completed napoleons.
• 17. To add the whipped cream topping, add the ingredients to a large mixer bowl and whisk until stiff peaks form.
• 18. Pipe swirls of the whipped cream on top of the napoleons and top with a few additional chopped berries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Napoleons are best fresh, or refrigerated for 1-2 days.