The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (355 page)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Traditional Napoleons involve puff pastry and fondant icing, and making them is daunting for all but the most experienced bakers. After all the effort, tough pastry and starchy pastry cream are often the disappointing rewards. We wanted satiny vanilla pastry cream sandwiched between layers of buttery, crisp, and ultra-flaky puff pastry, topped with the design of chocolate and vanilla glaze that gilds all Napoleons. Just as important, we wanted to bring this recipe out of the pastry kitchen and into the home kitchen.

The puff pastry layers that form Napoleons need to be level so that they can be spread with pastry cream and stacked. We found that the best way to achieve this was to roll the dough into an even layer, poke holes in it with a fork, slide it on to a baking sheet and bake it topped with a second baking sheet, weighted with a large ovensafe dish. Traditional recipes typically make one large Napoleon and then cut the pastry into individual servings, but we found this method fussy, unnecessary, and plagued with issues like the filling squirting out the sides during cutting, so after cooling the pastry, we cut it into individual rectangles for stacking

For a luxuriously smooth, rich pastry cream, we relied on half-and-half, sugar, egg yolks, a vanilla bean (vanilla extract also works), butter, and cornstarch. An for the icings, we threw out the idea of a traditional fondant icing and instead devised a simple icing made with milk, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract for the vanilla icing, and bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate for the chocolate icing. Simplified and undeniably elegant, our Napoleons make a spectacular finale to an elegant meal.

See “GLAZING AND ASSEMBLING NAPOLEONS” illustrations that follow recipe.

MAKES 6 NAPOLEONS

If the dough becomes too warm and sticky to work with, cover it with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator until firm.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

VANILLA GLAZE

FILLING

1. FOR THE PASTRY:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 16 by 12-inch rectangle, about ¹⁄
₄
inch thick, between 2 lightly floured sheets of parchment paper. Remove top sheet of parchment and prick pastry with fork every 2 inches.

2.
Replace top sheet of parchment and slide dough onto rimmed baking sheet. Place second rimmed baking sheet on top of dough and weight baking sheet with large ovensafe dish. Bake pastry until cooked through and lightly golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.

3.
Remove weight, top baking sheet, and top sheet of parchment and continue to bake pastry until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Let pastry cool completely on baking sheet, about 1 hour. (Pastry will shrink slightly.)

4.
Cut cooled pastry in half lengthwise with serrated knife and trim edges as necessary to make them straight. Cut each pastry half crosswise into 3 rectangles, then cut each rectangle crosswise into 3 small rectangles (you will have 18 rectangles). (Puff pastry rectangles can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 1 day.)

5. FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Microwave chocolate at 50 percent power for 15 seconds; stir chocolate, add milk, and continue heating for 10 seconds; stir until smooth.

6. FOR THE VANILLA GLAZE:
Whisk sugar, milk, and vanilla together in bowl until smooth.

7.
Spread chocolate glaze evenly over top of 6 rectangles of pastry and lay them on wire rack set over sheet of parchment (for easy cleanup). Drizzle thin stream of vanilla glaze over chocolate glaze. Run tip of small knife or toothpick lengthwise through icing to make design. Let icing set, about 20 minutes.

8. FOR THE FILLING:
Meanwhile, spread about 2¹⁄
₂
tablespoons of pastry cream evenly over 6 more rectangles of pastry. Gently top each with one of remaining 6 rectangles of pastry and spread remaining pastry cream evenly over tops. Top with glazed pastry rectangles and serve. (Glazed and assembled Napoleons can be stored at room temperature for up to 4 hours.)

Substitute
ALMOND PASTRY CREAM
for Pastry Cream and add 1 drop almond extract to vanilla glaze.

Substitute
MOCHA PASTRY CREAM
for Pastry Cream and add ¹⁄
₄
teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee to chocolate glaze before melting.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

With its copious amounts of butter, sugar, and nuts, baklava is often a lamentable experience; sad, soggy, punishingly sweet, and utterly lifeless specimens are ubiquitous. We wanted crisp, flaky, buttery baklava, filled with fragrant nuts and spices, and sweetened just assertively enough to pair with coffee. To achieve this goal, we sprinkled store-bought phyllo dough with three separate layers of nuts (a combination of almonds and walnuts) flavored with cinnamon and cloves. We clarified the butter to ensure even browning on top. Cutting the baklava, rather than just scoring it, before baking helped it absorb the sugar-honey syrup drizzled over the top after baking. Finally, allowing the baklava to sit overnight improved its flavor.

MAKES 32 TO 40 PIECES

Phyllo dough is also available in larger 18 by 14-inch sheets; if using, cut them in half to make 14 by 9-inch sheets. Do not thaw the phyllo in the microwave; let it sit in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 4 to 5 hours. A straight-sided traditional (not nonstick) metal baking pan works best for making baklava. If you don’t have this type of pan, a glass baking dish will work. When assembling, use the nicest, most intact phyllo sheets for the bottom and top layers; use sheets with tears or ones that are smaller than the size of the pan in the middle layers, where their imperfections will go unnoticed. If, after assembly, you have leftover clarified butter, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator; it can be used for sautéing.

SUGAR SYRUP

NUT FILLING

PASTRY AND BUTTER

1. FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP:
Bring all ingredients to boil in small saucepan, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. Transfer syrup to 2-cup liquid measuring cup and set aside to cool while making and baking baklava; when syrup is cool, remove spices and lemon zest. (Cooled syrup can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

2. FOR THE NUT FILLING:
Pulse almonds in food processor until very finely chopped, about 20 pulses; transfer to medium bowl. Pulse walnuts in food processor until very finely chopped, about 15 pulses; transfer to bowl with almonds and toss to combine. Measure out 1 tablespoon nuts and set aside for garnish. Add sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to nut mixture and toss well to combine.

3. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Melt butter slowly in small saucepan over medium-low heat until milk solids have separated from butterfat and collected on bottom of saucepan, about 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, let butter settle for 10 minutes, then carefully skim foam from surface with spoon.

4.
When all of foam has been removed, slowly pour clear butterfat into bowl, leaving all milk solids behind in the saucepan (you should have about 1 cup clarified butter).

5.
Grease 13 by 9-inch baking pan with clarified butter. Place 1 sheet of phyllo in bottom of prepared pan and brush with clarified butter until completely coated. Layer 7 sheets of phyllo into pan, brushing each sheet with butter. Sprinkle 1 cup nut filling evenly over phyllo.

6.
Layer 6 sheets of phyllo into pan, brushing each layer with butter, then sprinkle with 1 cup nut filling. Repeat with 6 sheets of phyllo, butter, and remaining 1 cup nut filling.

7.
Layer remaining 8 to 10 sheets of phyllo into pan, brushing each layer, except final layer, with butter. Working from center outward, use palms of hands to compress layers and press out any air pockets. Spoon 4 tablespoons of butter on top layer and brush to cover surface.

8.
Using serrated knife with pointed tip, cut baklava into diamonds. Bake baklava until golden and crisp, about 1¹⁄
₂
hours, rotating pan halfway through baking.

9.
Immediately pour all but 2 tablespoons of cooled syrup over cut lines (syrup will sizzle when it hits hot pan). Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons syrup over surface. Garnish center of each piece with pinch of reserved ground nuts. Let baklava cool completely in pan, about 3 hours, then cover with aluminum foil and let sit at room temperature for about 8 hours before serving.

Omit honey, lemon zest, and cinnamon in sugar syrup and increase sugar to 1³⁄
₄
cups. Substitute 10 whole peppercorns for cloves and stir in 1 tablespoon rose water after discarding peppercorns. Substitute 2³⁄
₄
cups shelled pistachios for almonds and walnuts and 1 teaspoon ground cardamom for cinnamon and cloves in nut filling.