Recipe: Napoleon

Yields ~4 three-layer Napoleons

Composition:

• Puff pastry
• Vanilla bean diplomat cream
• Salted caramel
• Whipped vanilla bean ganache

Classic Puff Pastry

Ingredients:

• 16 oz bread flour
• 6 oz all-purpose flour
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 2 oz butter, melted
• 10 fl oz water
• 16 oz European butter, 83-84%

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 ° F.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, mix flours and salt. Start mixer at medium speed and pour almost all water and melted butter in gradually. Add remaining water on the bottom of the bowl, to make sure all dry ingredients are moistened.
3. The dough is ready as soon as al water is absorbed. It will be a very shaggy dough. Do not knead to smooth out.
4. Remove the dough from the mixer, place on work surface, and form into a rough ball. Cut an X on the top with a sharp knife. Wrap and rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
5. Using a rolling pin, pound the 16oz of European butter into a 6x9-inch rectangle, free of lumps. Place the butter book in the refrigerator for 30-60min.
6. Remove the dough and butter block from the refrigerator and roll into a rectangle large enough to enclose butter, about 9 x 14.5-inch. Make sure that the butter and the dough are at the same texture for rolling. The ideal temperature is 54° F.
7. Place the butter into the center of the dough and enclose the butter by folding the sides of the dough into the center in an envelope style. Pinch seams to seal completely.
8. Press the dough with the palm of your hand to flatten and seal thoroughly.
9. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 30 x 9-inch rectangle, 1⁄2 inch thick. Fold rectangle into thirds like a business letter. This completes the first turn. Rotate 90 degrees and roll the dough in only one direction and fold into thirds, to perform one more turn. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.
10. Unwrap and, with the opening on either side, roll the dough from top to bottom. Finish two more turns and chill. Rest overnight at this point, if desired.
11. Repeat the same operation for the remaining 2 turns for a total of 6 turns. Chill.
12. On a floured surface, roll dough 1⁄8 inch (2mm) thick. Release from counter.
13. Place the rolled dough on top of parchment in a sheet tray. Score throughout.
14. Let chill for 15min. Place another piece of parchment and a sheet tray on top.
15. Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and press the tray on top to remove the air and compact the layers.
16. Bake for another 20-30 minutes at 325° F, until golden brown.
17. Let cool, cut the pastry with a serrated knife with the guide of a ruler to the desired size.
18. Place back in the oven and continue baking at 325° F, if needed.
19. Sprinkle a thin and homogenous layer of powdered sugar. Bake at 350° F for 5 minutes, then at 485° F until fully caramelized.

Vanilla Bean Diplomat Cream

• 1 Tahitian vanilla bean, Satin Ice.
• 4 oz Instant Pastry Cream, Satin Ice
• 8.5 fl oz water, cold
• 2 fl oz heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 14 fl oz heavy cream

Make the vanilla bean pastry cream:

1. In the bowl of a mixer combine the vanilla, Instant Pastry Cream, water and heavy cream.
2. Whip using a whisk attachment on high speed for 5 minutes.
3. Add salt, combine it well and strain.
4. Cover with plastic wrap to touch, then place the pastry cream in the fridge for at least 1hr. Finish the Diplomat cream
5. Whip the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Be careful to not overwhip it.
6. Remove the pastry cream from the fridge and stir well with a spatula. Fold in the heavy cream in 2 additions. Use immediately.

Salted Caramel:

Ingredients:

• 160 g granulated sugar
• 30 g Glucose Syrup
• 120 g heavy cream
• 3 g salt (or to taste)
• 70 g butter

Instructions:

1. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan to a simmer. Set aside.
2. Combine the sugar and glucose in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the sugar caramelizes, the color should turn to amber.
3. Add the warm cream in 2 additions, be carefully since the mixture will bubble up and could splash. Combine well.
4. Re-heat to 221° F. Set aside.
5. Add the butter when the mixture has cooled down to 150 ° F or lower. Combine well, if needed use a whisk.

Whipped Vanilla Bean Ganache

Ingredients:

• 1 Satin Ice Tahitian Vanilla Beans
• 0.9oz Satin Ice Glucose Syrup
• Pinch of salt
• 3oz white chocolate, high quality
• 1.5 gelatin sheets
• 4.4 fl oz heavy cream, cold

Instructions:

1. Bloom the gelatin:
2. If using sheets: place the 1.5 gelatin sheets in a container with ice-cold water, let them hydrate for 5-10 minutes.
3. If using powder: slowly sprinkle 0.13 oz of powder over 1fl oz of cold water while carefully mixing. Let hydrate for 10min. Melt in the microwave by doing short burst of 5-10 seconds max. Once melted add to the mixture on step 6.
4. Chop the white chocolate in small pieces (if needed) and place in a heatproof bowl.
5. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise, remove the seeds. Add the seeds and vanilla bean pod into a saucepan containing 4.4 fl oz of heavy cream, Glucose Syrup and salt.
6. Bring to a boil and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod and reheat the mixture to a boil.
7. Pour over the chocolate, let sit for 1 minute. Combine well with a spatula.
8. Add the bloomed gelatin and the cold 4.4 fl oz of heavy cream, use a hand blender to combine faster but avoid making too many bubbles.
9. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in the fridge to set, 4hr or overnight.
10. Remove from the fridge and place in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip with a whisk attachment until medium peaks.
11. Transfer the whipped ganache into a piping bag and fill the cavities of a quenelle mold.
12. Place the mold in the freezer for a minimum of 4 hours.

Final Dessert Assembly:

1. Cut the baked puff pastry using a serrated knife to the desired size. 
2. Pipe diplomat cream on a puff pastry rectangle using a round tip, add a thin layer of salted caramel in the middle.
3. Place a layer of pastry on top. Repeat the piping.
4. Decorate the last layer by gently sifting powdered sugar on top, place on top of the second layer.
5. Remove two whipped vanilla bean ganache quenelles per Napoleon from the mold. Sift vanilla bean powder on top of the quenelles. Place them on top of the puff pastry.
6. Place a thin strip of tempered chocolate on top of the quenelles. Finish with gold leaf.
7. Refrigerate until consumption.