As previously mentioned, I will be unable to attend our Dinner Club this coming weekend. However, just because I won’t be there to eat myself, I have no intention of any of the rest of the group going without dessert because of our family football habit!
Certainly, the show would – and has – gone on without a dish or two, but we do plan these meals out in advance to make them easier to prepare and less of a time commitment for everyone involved. The fun of getting together is the priority; not hours of slaving in the kitchen (unless that’s exactly what you love, like myself!). In fact, at this very minute, I am, as always, food-multitasking (with a firm commitment to make it to the gym yet today as well!).
I have a stock pot on the stove preparing a shellfish stock from leftover shrimp and lobster shells and lobster meat (leftover from a couple of meals months ago). Why throw the shells out, when I can toss them in a baggie in the freezer until the day - which happens to be today - when I have the time to let them simmer into a rich and luscious seafood stock that I can again freeze to be used in the preparation of some lobster bisque or other seafood soup in the future?
I have dinner in the slow cooker for a family on the go tonight…as well as before, during and after writing this blog, I am hard at work planning our big meal for this weekend in place of Dinner Club: tailgate food!
My Nebraska
So back to Dinner Club: I have included below my recipe for this week – Berry Napoleons with Chocolate and Mascarpone Cream. Sounds difficult and like a huge time commitment, right? No way! I will have to rely on my fellow Dinner Clubbers to bake the puff pastry and assemble the dessert that night, but I should be able to easily prepare in advance each of the elements of this decadent dish and deliver to them ahead of time to make it very easy to finish that night. Most recipes are this way when you really take the time to figure out what all you can do in advance. That’s one of the keys to Dinner Club success. DO SOME OF IT AHEAD! Then you have more time for chit-chat and cocktails that evening with your friends!
This posting is getting longer than I’d like, but I do feel it’s important to include some basic information on exactly what a napoleon is for those of you who might not have had it before; so I’ll quote my old friend Wikipedia (shown **’d) once again for the basics.
**The variant name of Napoleon appears to come from napolitain, the French adjective for the Italian city of Naples, but altered by association with the name of Emperor Napoleon I of France. There is no evidence to connect the pastry to the emperor himself. In France
**Traditionally, a Mille-feuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry, alternating with two layers of cream pâtissière, but sometimes whipped cream, or jam. The top is usually glazed with icing or fondant in alternating white (icing) and brown (chocolate) strips, and combed.Thank you, Wikipedia! I would note, in addition to the above information, that napoleon’s are not required to be molded and combed. Many of the recipes now are simply “stacked” desserts that are prepared individually for each guest; which is exactly what mine will be. For a look at different types of napoleons, you can search “Google images” to see what they can turn out looking like! Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!
Mixed Berry
4 servings
Ingredients
For the pastry cream:
· 4 eggs
· 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
· 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
· 2 cups whole milk, heated
· 3⅓ ounces dark chocolate, melted
· 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
For the napoleons:
· All-purpose flour for dusting
· 8 ounces frozen puff pastry, defrosted
· 8 ounces mixed berries or sliced strawberries
· Confectioners' sugar
Instructions
Prepare the pastry cream: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until pale in color. Add the flour, and beat well. Add the hot milk in a slow, steady stream, whisking until smooth. Transfer to a pot and bring to a boil, whisking continuously until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, and let cool. Divide the pastry cream evenly into two bowls. Add the melted chocolate to one bowl, mixing well to incorporate. Add the mascarpone to the other bowl, mixing well until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Prepare the pastry: Preheat oven to 325°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to ¼-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles. Arrange the circles on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes, or until puffy and golden-brown. Remove from the oven, and let cool. Cut each pastry puff in half horizontally. (This makes more than needed, in case some break.)
To serve, place a spoonful of the chocolate cream on each plate, and spread it out decoratively. Assemble the napoleon on top of the chocolate: Place one circle of puff pastry on top of the chocolate, and spread a layer of the mascarpone cream on top of it. Repeat twice, so that each napoleon has three layers of pastry and mascarpone cream. Top with mixed berries or sliced strawberries, and dust with confectioners' sugar. If desired, place remaining chocolate cream in a pastry bag, and pipe over the napoleons.
