Orange Fool Napoleons Recipes

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Whisk together five-spice powder and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl.
• Cover phyllo with overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and a dampened kitchen towel. Arrange 1 phyllo sheet on a large baking sheet, then brush with some butter and sprinkle with one third of spiced sugar. Make 2 more layers in same manner. Top with remaining phyllo sheet and brush with remaining butter. (For a corrugated look, invert a large rectangular cooling rack and place it on top of phyllo.)
• Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Carefully remove cooling rack (if using) and transfer phyllo (in 1 piece) with 2 metal spatulas to another rack to cool.
• While phyllo cools, blend together cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla, 2 tablespoons reserved orange syrup (discard remainder), and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and fold in oranges.
• Break phyllo with your hands or cut with a serrated knife into 12 pieces. Arrange 1 piece of phyllo on a plate and top with a dollop of orange cream. Repeat layering and top with another piece of phyllo. Make 3 more napoleons in same manner. Dust with confectioners sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the orange peel and sugar. Place a sheet of phyllo dough on a parchment-covered baking sheet. Brush the phyllo with melted butter. Cover with another sheet of phyllo dough and brush it with butter. Repeat until all sheets are layered. Be sure to keep the phyllo sheets covered with a damp kitchen towel as you use them so they dont dry out. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool.
• Combine the orange-flavored liqueur, 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, 1 tablespoon orange zest, and 3 cups blueberries in a large saucepan and place the pan over medium-low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Strain.
• In a stand mixer, or using a hand held mixer, make the filling by blending together the cream cheese, sour cream, remaining orange zest, remaining confectioners' sugar, and ground coriander. When the filling is well-blended, gently stir in the blueberries.
• Cut the phyllo dough into 8 (4-inch) squares. Place a square of phyllo on each plate, and top with a dollop of filling; add another phyllo square, another dollop of filling, then top with blueberry sauce. Repeat the process to make 4 servings. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface roll out the pastry to 1/16-inch thick. Transfer pastry to a parchment-lined sheet pan and trim edges. With a fork prick surface all over and chill for 30 minutes. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Cover pastry with a second piece of parchment paper and weight down with a second sheet pan. Bake pastry for 10 minutes. Remove top sheet pan and parchment and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer pastry to a cooling rack.
• Make the filling: In a heavy saucepan combine the heavy cream, milk, and sugar. Using a knife scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean into the milk mixture and add the whole bean. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and allow to steep for one hour. Discard the bean or reserve for another use.
• Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees. Whisk the yolks into the cooled milk mixture and strain through a fine sieve into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place the dish in a larger roasting pan and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the dish. Bake custard for 3/4 to 1 hour until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. let cool; cover and chill for several hours or overnight. To assemble: Transfer pastry to a flat surface. Using a ruler measure out three 3 1/2 x 11-inch strips. With a serrated knife carefully cut the pastry using a gentle sawing motion. With a paring knife cut the custard into two 3 1/2 x 11-inch strips and cut each strip in half crosswise. With a long, wide offset spatula transfer a piece of custard onto a strip of pastry, covering half of it. Transfer a second piece of custard to fill the first layer. Top with a second strip of pastry, smooth side up, and repeat process. If necessary, smooth the sides of the napoleon with a knife so that they are stacked neatly.
• Using a serrated knife carefully slice the napoleon into individual serving pieces. Sift confectioner's sugar over the napoleon to form a thick coating. Heat skewers on stovetop burner until red-hot and brand the sugar with cross hatch marks.
• Recommended drink: 1993 Passito di Pantelleria, Nuova Agricoltura

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with a non-stick liner. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Slowly add the confectioners' sugar and beat for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are firm. Add the Grand Marnier, to taste.
• Drop tablespoon amounts of batter onto the baking sheets, leaving 3-inches of space between each. Using the back of the spoon, smooth each meringue into a flat disk. Bake for 2 to 2 1/4 hours until meringues can be easily lifted off the liners and are completely dried out.
• Mascarpone Cream: Combine the mascarpone, cream, sugar, and orange liqueur, and whip until they hold soft peaks. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Place meringue disc on plate and top with macerated strawberries and dollop of cream, repeat. Finish with meringue top.

Steps:

• A day before you plan to serve the dessert, heat the oven to 300 degrees for at least 15 minutes, then turn it off and leave the door closed. Whip the egg whites until foamy in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the granulated sugar and whip until stiff and glossy, about 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and whip very briefly (I count to 10), just to incorporate.
• Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag with a medium plain tip and pipe small hearts with 2 teardrop shaped strokes onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place the pan in the turned-off oven, close the door, and leave overnight to dry until crisp. (The recipe can be made up to this point and stored at room temperature in an airtight container up to 5 days in advance.)
• When ready to serve, whip the cream and place in a pastry bag with a star tip. Place 1 meringue heart on a plate then pipe on cream. Top with raspberries and a final meringue. Tuck a mint leaf into each, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan combine blood orange juice and peel, sugar and water. Bring to a boil and reduce to approximately 1 cup. Allow to cool, cover and refrigerate syrup overnight. Strain out peel and pulp of orange. Whip cream to stiff peaks with 1/4 cup syrup. Spoon into blood orange halves. Sprinkle tops with almonds.

Steps:

• Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet into a 10-inch square; cut into 2 1/2-by-5-inch rectangles (8 total). Sandwich between 2 unlined rimmed baking sheets and bake at 400 degrees F until golden, 30 minutes. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cool. Cook 1/3 cup milk, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a small skillet over medium heat, whisking, until thick. Stir in 2 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate; cool. Fold in 1 1/2 cups whipped cream. To assemble, layer 2 pastry rectangles with the chocolate cream and raspberries. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• With a vegetable peeler remove 2 strips zest from orange (each about 3 by 1/2 inch) and mince.
• Squeeze enough juice from orange to measure 1/2 cup and in a small heavy saucepan simmer orange juice until reduced to 1/4 cup.
• Remove pan from heat and add sugar and butter to orange juice, whisking until butter is melted. Whisk in egg until combined well and cook mixture over moderately low heat, whisking, until thick enough to hold marks of whisk and first bubble appears on surface, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and add zest to orange curd, whisking. Pour orange curd into a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir until cold.
• In another bowl beat cream until it just holds stiff peaks and fold into orange curd gently but thoroughly.
• Spoon orange fool into 2 chilled goblets.