Shrimp Napoleons 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.

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.

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.

SHRIMP NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Unfold 1 puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut sheet into 9 squares, about 3 in. Cut each square in half, forming 18 rectangles. , Place on 1 prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining puff pastry. Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool., In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, onion, mustard and Worcestershire sauce until well blended. Stir in the shrimp, carrot and bacon. , To assemble, use a fork to split each pastry in half horizontally. Spread a rounded tablespoonful of cream cheese mixture over the bottom halves; replace tops. Refrigerate until serving.

ROASTED BEET NAPOLEON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the beets in a small roasting pan and pour in enough cold water to reach about 1/4 of the way up the sides of the beets. Cover the pan with foil, and roast the beets until they are tender, 2 hours to 2 hours and 15 minutes. To check for doneness, gently insert a bamboo skewer into a beet. The skewer should slide through easily. Remove the beets from the pan, allow to cool, and then peel. Cut each beet into 1/4-inch-thick round slices. Cut each slice with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. (You will need 10 rounds). Cut trimmings into 1/4-inch dice and reserve 1/2 cup for garnish. In a saute pan, bring vinegar and sugar to a boil. Lower to a simmer and poach beets 1 minute on each side. With a slotted spatula, remove and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover and refrigerate until needed. When ready to assemble, heat the olive oil in a small saute pan. Arrange the slices of Herbed Goat Cheese in the pan and warm slightly, turning them with a small spatula just to warm both sides. This has to be done quickly, or the cheese will melt. To assemble the napoleons, place 1 of the beet rounds on a firm, flat surface and begin to layer. Top with a slice of goat cheese, then another beet round, a second slice of cheese, another beet round, a third slice of cheese, and a beet round. (Continue until you have 5 layers of beets and 4 layers of cheese.) Carefully cut through layers, dividing into 3 wedges. Repeat with the remaining beets and cheese. To serve, arrange 3 of the wedges, pointed ends facing out, in a circle in the center of each plate. Toss the baby lettuces with the Spago House Dressing and mound half of the lettuces on top of each arranged napoleon. Drizzle 1/2 of the Citrus Hazelnut Vinaigrette around each mound. Sprinkle toasted nuts and reserved diced beets on top of drizzled vinaigrette. Serve immediately.
• Combine the parsley, chives, thyme, and pepper and place on a flat surface. Roll the log of cheese in the mixture, coating all sides and retaining the shape of the log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the shallots and the mustard. Whisk in the vinegars and then the olive and vegetable oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until needed.
• In a medium saucepan, bring orange juice to a boil. Lower to a simmer and reduce until only 1/3 cup remains. Cool to room temperature. In a medium bowl, combine orange juice, shallot, thyme, vinegar and orange zest. Slowly whisk in both oils until thick and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the hazelnuts on a medium baking tray and toast for 10 to 12 minutes, turning after 5 minutes. (This can be done in a toaster oven). Remove to a clean towel and rub to remove as much of the skin as possible. Chop coarsely and use when needed.

CRAB APPETIZER NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 12 (2-inch) circles with a cutter. Place the pastry circles onto a baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Split each pastry into 2 layers, making 24 in all.
• Stir the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in the milk, horseradish, black pepper and crabmeat.
• Spread the crabmeat mixture on 12 bottom pastry layers. Top with the onions, almonds and top pastry layers. Sprinkle with the paprika.

FRENCH NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out each pastry sheet to 1/8-inch thickness.
• Using a shaped cookie cutter of your choice (I prefer hearts), cut out 9 Napoleons per sheet.
• Place on ungreased baking sheets.
• (If your dough has become too warm, place in refrigerator to chill. The pastry will not "puff" well if warm.).
• Bake at 400º for 8-11 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.
• In a bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Fold in Cool Whip.
• Split puff pastry shapes in half.
• Place bottom halves on serving plates.
• Spoon filling over each; top with strawberries. I make the points of the slices stick out over the edges.
• Top with pastry tops. (Add just a dab of filling on top of strawberries so the pastry top will stick.).
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
• Serve immediately.

CRAB SALAD NAPOLEONS WITH FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta sheets and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and cool under cold running water. Cut each sheet into 4-inch squares. (You need 18 squares in all.)
• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, half of the chopped chives, the lemon juice, and black pepper.
• In another, larger bowl, combine the crab and the peas and toss to combine. Add 1/3 cup of the chive mayonnaise mixture and toss gently to combine.
• To assemble the Napoleons, place one square of pasta on a plate. Spread a small spoonful of chive mayonnaise on the pasta sheet. Top with 1/4 cup of the crab salad and gently spread the salad out to the edges of the pasta square. Top with another sheet of pasta. Spread another spoonful of chive mayonnaise on the pasta square. Top with another 1/4 cup of the crab salad and gently spread the salad out to the edges of the pasta sheet. Top with a final pasta square, and add a small dollop of chive mayonnaise. Sprinkle with a pinch of lemon zest, a pinch of the remaining chives, and a grind of black pepper.
• Repeat to make 5 more Napoleons.

STRAWBERRY NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• Simmer strawberries in syrup with sugar, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then pur\ée in a blender.
• Assemble napoleons:
• Trim and quarter enough strawberries to measure 3 cups. Beat cream in a chilled bowl until it just holds stiff peaks.
• Put 1 cookie on a plate and spread 1/2 cup whipped cream over it. Top with ‚ cup quartered strawberries and drizzle about 3 tablespoons sauce over them. Lean a second cookie at an angle over berries and lightly dust with confectioners sugar. Make 5 more napoleons in same manner.

STRAWBERRY NAPOLEON

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out each pastry sheet to a 9-in. square. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually add milk until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg yolks; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate, without stirring, until chilled. , For topping, beat cream in a chilled large bowl until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. , Place one pastry square on a serving platter. Top with the custard, strawberries, sweetened whipped cream and second pastry. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Refrigerate leftovers.