Miniature Napoleons Food

NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry to 1/16-inch thick. Transfer pastry to a parchment-lined sheet pan and trim edges. With a fork prick surface all over and chill for 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover pastry with a second piece of parchment paper and weight down with a second sheet pan. Bake pastry for 10 minutes. Remove top sheet pan and parchment and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer pastry to a cooling rack.
• Make the filling: In a heavy saucepan combine the heavy cream, milk, and sugar. Using a knife scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the milk mixture and add the whole bean. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and allow to steep for one hour. Discard the bean or reserve for another use.
• Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees. Whisk the yolks into the cooled milk mixture and strain through a fine sieve into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the dish. Bake custard for 3/4 to 1 hour until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool; cover and chill for several hours or overnight. To assemble: Transfer pastry to a flat surface. Using a ruler measure out three 3 1/2 x 11-inch strips. With a serrated knife carefully cut the pastry using a gentle sawing motion. With a paring knife cut the custard into two 3 1/2 x 11-inch strips and cut each strip in half crosswise. With a long, wide offset spatula transfer a piece of custard onto a strip of pastry, covering half of it. Transfer a second piece of custard to fill the first layer. Top with a second strip of pastry, smooth side up, and repeat process. If necessary, smooth the sides of the napoleon with a knife so that they are stacked neatly.
• Using a serrated knife carefully slice the napoleon into individual serving pieces. Sift confectioner's sugar over the napoleon to form a thick coating. Heat skewers on stovetop burner until red-hot and brand the sugar with cross hatch marks.
• Recommended drink: 1993 Passito di Pantelleria, Nuova Agricoltura

MINIATURE ROQUEFORT NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, working with 1 half of the pastry at a time, roll out the pastry to form 16- by 12-inch rectangles and transfer each rectangle to a baking sheet. On 1 of the baking sheet draw 2 shallow crosswise lines with a blunt knife, dividing the sheet into thirds, and sprinkle the walnuts over two thirds of the pastry sheet. Cover each pastry sheet directly with the buttered bottom surface of another baking sheet to weight it. Bake the pastry sheets in a preheated 400°F.oven for 5 minutes, remove the baking sheet weights, and with a fork prick the pastry sheet all over. Return the baking sheet weights to the pastry sheets for 10 minutes more, and remove the baking sheet weights. Prick the pastry sheets again, switch the baking sheets in the oven so the pastry sheets bake evenly, and bake the pastry sheets for 7 to 10 minutes more, or until they are crisp and golden. While the pastry sheets are still warm, with a pastry wheel cut each sheet crosswise into sixteen 1-inch strips and cut the strips into sixths, making ninety-six 2-by 1-inch rectangles per sheet. The pastry rectangles may be made 1 day in advance and kept, covered with plastic wrap, on the baking sheets.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer beat together the Roquefort, the cream cheese, the lemon juice, the white pepper, and salt to taste until the mixture is creamy and smooth. The filling may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Let the filling return to room temperature before spreading it.
• Spread a thin layer of the filling on each of the rectangles without walnuts. To assemble each napoleon stack 2 Roquefort-topped layers and top them with a walnut topped layer.

NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll out three sheets of puff pastry, each to the same size and a thickness of 1/8 inch. Prick with a fork, and place on baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/2 cup milk with fingers until smooth. Stir in cake flour and half the sugar. Beat in egg yolks. Set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, bring remaining milk and remaining sugar to a rolling boil. Stir in egg yolk mixture; continue stirring and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Let cool.
• In a small saucepan or in the microwave, heat the jam until runny.
• Place one sheet of pastry on a board. Spread with cooled pastry cream to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Place a second pastry sheet over the cream. Brush with fruit glaze. Spread remaining pastry cream over glaze. Top with final pastry sheet and gently compress layers, using a baking sheet to press.
• To make icing, beat together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice with enough of the egg whites to make a creamy consistency like that of a cream soup. Working quickly, color a small portion of the frosting with red food coloring. Frost the top and sides of the assembled pastry with white icing. Pipe parallel lines of red icing on top of dessert, then draw a pick or knife crosswise through icing to make the traditional design. Let icing set before cutting into bars.

MINATURE NAPOLEONS WITH EGGPLANT CREME (VEGAN YUM YUM)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Slice the tomatoes and zuchini into at least 12 slices (between 1/4 and 1/2 inch think). Place on a parchament-lined cookie sheet. Spay with oil to coat and sprinkle with dried herbs. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Add the mushoom caps to the roasted tomato/zucchini sheet. Spray with oil and put about a 1/2 teaspoon of tamari (or soy sauce) in each one. Bake for about 30 more minutes.
• While the vegetables are baking, peel and dice the eggplants (I had about 750 grams). Put a couple layers of paper towels in the bottom of a big bowl and microwave the eggplant in two batches for eight minutes each.
• Then saute the eggplants in olive oil for about 10 minutes until cooked an a littlebrown.
• Add eggplants, cashews, and garlic to a food processor and process until very smooth.
• To assemble, put a little dot of eggplant creme on the plate to act as an anchor. Place a tomato on top of the anchor and put more eggplant creme on top. Then add zucchini and more creme. Then add mushroom cap and a a dot of more creme.
• Garnish with basil and a bit tomato. Drizzle a little olive oil and some dots of vinegar on the plate to really be fancy.
• (I found that if the mushooms are big, they make a better base than topper.).