Strawbluerry Napoleon

Packaged puff pastry is an awesome staple to keep in your freezer...you can make all kinds of savory and sweet goodies with this pastry as a basis.  I made blueberry tarts for Liam and Jessi last time I saw them, and have used the pastry for a creamy mushroom & chicken meal...the possibilities are endless.  A couple days ago, I found a recipe for Strawberry Napoleons on the puff pastry box (click on the link to see the recipe)...this is my little bit of a spin on their recipe...it was so good! 

Strawbluerry Napoleon

I love being creative in the kitchen, but it's also comforting to come across recipes that I can learn from while adding my own kitchen creativity.  My little additions include adding "Liqueur de Fraises" (strawberry liqueur) when whipping the heavy cream and adding blueberries.  Not a big difference...but changed the flavor.

The process is relatively easy but time consuming.  Once the pastry is cooked, cooled and cut in half lengthwise, you begin assembling the layers.  There is enough pastry to make two napoleons...I'm showing you just one.

 

 

 

 

 

The icing is a little milk and confectioners sugar...I didn't think the recipe provided for enough icing so I made a second batch of it so the entire pastry would be covered.

I'm no expert at decoratively drizzling melted chocolate, but I had fun.  I'll be using drizzled chocolate in many more recipes...it's so easy to melt in the microwave and makes the finished product look fancy!

One other thing I learned is that it would have been better to use loaf pans to build the napoleons in, because as the layers were built, they started to fall over...I had to use glasses to keep them in place.

 I also learned that vanilla (or any flavor) pudding is another staple to keep in the cupboard...this cream filling was delicious...you make the pudding using only 1 cup of milk, then use 1 cup of heavy cream to make whipped cream (the liqueur makes it that much better), then fold them together...I'm going to make a chocolate pie following this same concept.  I suppose there are many of you out there that know about this trick/method, but I'm sure glad to have been introduced to it!

Let me tell you, this Strawbluerry Napoleon was absolutely delicious!  Thanks to Pepperidge Farms for the recipe idea:)

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise