Napoleons
with whipped cream & fresh raspberries
Pudding makes everything better! I know what you are thinking…instant pudding? Are you serious! Yes, I am quite serious because when blended with the whipped cream, it doesn’t even taste like pudding. It takes on a rich vanilla and velvety texture that begs your taste buds for more! After one taste you will want a tub of this lying around to eat.
I grew up with my brothers always screaming at my mom to make sure that their Snack Packs, a.k.a pudding cups, were included with their school lunches. Snack Packs were sacrilege to my brothers. Who knew that even at the ripe old ages of 29 and 34 that my brothers would still be obsessing over their Snack Packs, which is why I came up with this recipe. A true Napoleon is very time consuming to make and quite difficult in my opinion.
I hate time consuming and I especially hate difficult recipes because baking and cooking is supposed to be fun, not work. I came up with this recipe because I didn’t have a lot of time and needed a quick dessert back in the day. Well, Voila! Sugared puff pastry (which is a staple in my house), with instant pudding and whipped cream, pretty simple yet pretty damn good.
I know most people would snub their noses at the fact I am using a boxed pudding, especially with the organic and natural kick everyone seems to be on (weirdo’s), but in all honesty, no one would ever know it’s a “box” unless they were told because it has such a luscious taste.
The puff pastry isn’t overly sweet, since only a hint of sugar is used, which I think balances the sweetness from the pudding. Raspberries are tart to begin with and add just enough sweet and sour to cut through the lush flavors. Want to make it healthier? Use instant sugar-free pudding, 1 square of puff pastry, minimal whipped cream and a variety of berries rather than just the raspberries. All in all, eat up people, because this is one dessert that will be eaten fast amongst a crowd!
Ingredients:
Yields 6 pastry treats
- 1 box of Puff Pastry, defrosted & at room temperature
- 1 box Instant Vanilla Pudding (Sugar Free Pudding can be used as well)
- 3-4 Tbsp. Turbinado Sugar (large crystal sugar)
- Fresh Raspberries
- 2 c. Fresh Whipped Cream
Whipped Cream Ingredients:
- 1/2 pint of Heavy Cream
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 c. Confectioners Sugar
Directions:
- Allow the puff pastry to defrost at room temperature (overnight, usually in the refrigerator and then on the counter for about 1 hour).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place one sheet of puff pastry. Cut into 6 squares and place about 1 inch apart. Egg wash and sprinkle with some of the turbinado sugar. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until squares are “puffy” and golden brown. Repeat with the second sheet of puff pastry. (You can cut the squares smaller, which will yield more, but this size tends to work best).
- While the puff pasty is baking, make the instant pudding by following the directions on the box. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Make the whipped cream. Beat the heavy cream in a stand mixer on high for about 5 minutes. Slowly add in the confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract. Continue beating on high until the heavy cream comes together and is thick and whipped (test it by dipping a spoon in the whipped cream and then placing it upside down. If the cream stays put and doesn’t slide off the spoon then it’s good to go).
- Fold in some of the whipped cream (about 1/2, leaving the remaining to garnish on top of the Napoleons when serving) to the instant pudding mixture and place back in the refrigerator.
- Remove the pastry squares from the oven and allow to fully cool.
Assemble the Napoleon:
Place one square on a plate and scoop some of the pudding mixture on top. You can either put some fresh raspberries on top of the pudding mixture or serve them on the side (I like to serve on the side). Place another pastry square on top. Top with a dollop of the left over whipped cream and raspberries. Serve!
