Napoleonskager #BakingBloggers

This month's Baking Bloggers challenge was to make something with Puff Pastry.  (and I totally screwed up on notifying them I was going to participate, so I'm a little late in the game.)
But I'm here now and I have my bake on.
My mind immediately went to something I used to get in Denmark, a Napoleonskager,when I saw Puff Pastry as the challenge or theme this month.  This is something I would 'nyde' or enjoy every single crumb and drop of filling of.  And then I'd lick the plate.
TMI?
   

And since we've got to attend a potluck on Monday as well, I made this up a little early.   I can't wait to see everyone's faces when they see what I brought. 
According to Wikipedia, this is also called Mille-feuille or Thousand Layer pastry.   You can read more about it here.
In England they also call it a Cream Slice, and it's known by various names and guises throughout the world. 

Nuff said.

This is a pretty easy and spectacular dessert to make and put together.  Although like most really great desserts, it does take a little advance planning.
And it's worth it.

Make a batch of Pastry Cream, I kinda cheated and used my Bird's Eye Custard mix, cause it's pretty much fool proof and tastes great as well.

Next.  Take the puff pastry out of the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the fridge.

Then take out the sheet of pastry, roll it out a bit thinner, about the thickness of cardboard.  Cut it into strips, and prick it all over with a fork.  You don't want it to poof up like usual.   I actually used a ruler and my pizza cutter to cut them out.   I wanted smaller ones, not quite size I used to get in Denmark, more bite-size Napoleons, cause I like small bites of things.  And this way I could make enough to share.

I then figured out the optimum number of cuts I could make, and used my fork to prick them all over.

It wasn't enough to keep them from rising too much, but I had a fix for that.  I just cut some of the too poofy ones in half and built the Napoleonskager that way.

Topping

After Glazing with some of the white, drizzle some of the red glaze over top

 And using the tip of a knife or a toothpick, pull across the red stripes, making a comb pattern.

Then eat and enjoy, after taking lots and lots of pictures.  You can see the layers of the puff pastry here.  The pastry filling does tend to leak out, so make sure you're either wearing a bib or eating over a plate.  That pastry cream does a number sometimes on clothes.

Each Napoleon has three layers of pastry and two layers of a thick pastry cream.  The top is finished off with either a thin royal icing or a very thick glaze.   In Denmark a thin layer of Raspberry Jelly is added under the pastry cream, then topped with another layer of pastry, more jelly and custard. Then it's topped with the final layer of puff pastry and glazed. 
 

BTW, this is also my 900th post.  I just realized. WOW, OK, so I just impressed myself. sheesh.

Yield: 12 + ServingsAuthor: Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

Napoleonskager

prep time: 30 minscook time: 20 minstotal time: 50 mins

These are known by various names throughout the world, but the consensus by most people, is they're just plain delicious.

ingredients:

1 package frozen Puff Pastry Dough

1 recipe Custard (I used Bird's Eye Custard Powder)

2-4 tablespoons Raspberry Jelly

White Glaze

Raspberry Glaze

White Glaze

4-6 Tablespoons Confectioners sugar

1/2 teaspoon Grand Marnier

1-3 drops of water if needed.

Raspberry Glaze

3-4 Tablespoons Raspberry Jelly, heated and thinned out with a little water

4-5 Tablespoons Confectioners sugar

1 drop red food coloring

1-3 drops water if needed.

instructions:

Make two cups of Pastry Cream or Custard.  I used Bird's Eye Custard Powder and just doubled the custard powder to get a thick custard.
 Take the puff pastry out of the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Then take out the sheet of pastry, roll it out a bit thinner, about the thickness of cardboard.  Cut it into strips, and prick it all over with a fork.  You don't want it to poof up like usual.   I actually used a ruler and my pizza cutter to cut them out.   I wanted smaller ones, not quite the size I used to get in Denmark, more  two bite-size Napoleons, cause I like small bites of things.  And this way I could make enough to share.
I then figured out the optimum number of cuts I could make, and used my fork to prick them all over.   Using a pizza cutter and a ruler, cut out strips.  Mine were 2 inches by 3 inches.  Not square. more rectangular in shape.   Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden in color.  You don't want them browned, more golden and just baked through. 
If the puff pastry, puffed up too much while baking,  you can always split it, and then assemble it like this.
Puff Pastry, thin, very thin layer of Raspberry Jelly, custard, another piece of puff pastry, Jelly, custard and finishing it off with a final layer of puff pastry, which has been glazed.  A layer of white glaze first, then drizzle some of the red glaze over top and using a toothpick or the tip of a knife, pull through the red glaze and make a pretty combed design.  
Serve immediately. 
All recipes and their respective images are either original or adapted and credited, and are all the sole property of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking © 2011-2018, with all rights reserved thereof.  
 

Created using The Recipes Generator

Baking Bloggers

Baked with Puff Pastry

• Baked Apricot Pistachio Camembert by Food Lust People Love
• Cherry Turnovers by The Redhead Baker
• Cinnamon Roll Twists by Sneha's Recipe
• Homemade Taco Hot Pockets by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Matcha Puff Pastry Twists by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Napoleonskager by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Puff Pastry Chicken Packets by Hardly a Goddess
• Spinach Ham and Cheese Bites by Karen's Kitchen Stories

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post about it once per month. If you are a food blogger interesting in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers FaceBook Group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.