CookDiaries

A crisp layers surrendering to molten chocolate hazelnut gold each shatter revealing cream as light as a secret. These Napoleons are architecture of indulgence: crisp pastry crackling under velvet clouds of nutty chocolate, where hazelnut’s warmth whispers through every bite. Golden, decadent, and impossibly elegant, they turn teatime into a moment of edible luxury

Recipe information

• Total Time5 hr (includes chilling)
• Yield8 servings

Ingredients

For hazelnut crème:

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup Nutella

1 cup chilled heavy cream

1 whole large egg

2 large egg yolks

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 tsp light corn syrup

For candied hazelnuts:

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and any loose skins rubbed off

For pastry:

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17 1/4-oz package), thawed

2 Tbsp light corn syrup

1 1/2 tsp water

About 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

Special Equipment

A candy thermometer; a long metal skewer (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Melt chocolate with Nutella and keep warm.

Step 2

Beat cream with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks, then chill.

Step 3

Beat egg and yolks in cleaned mixer bowl with cleaned beaters at high speed until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.

Step 4

Meanwhile, bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to a boil in a 1-qt heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Continue to boil, undisturbed, until candy thermometer registers 238°F (soft-ball stage; you will need to tilt pan to get temperature), about 4 minutes.

Step 5

Reduce mixer speed to medium and add hot sugar mixture to eggs in a slow steam (try to avoid beaters and side of bowl), then beat until mixture is pale, thick, tripled in volume, and completely cool, about 5 minutes.

Step 6

Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Fold in one third of whipped cream to lighten, then fold in remaining whipped cream gently but thoroughly. Chill at least 4 hours.

Candy hazelnuts:

Step 7

Line a baking pan with foil (shiny side up).

Step 8

Heat sugar in a heavy 10-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring with a fork to heat sugar evenly, until it starts to melt, then stop stirring and cook, swirling skillet occasionally so sugar melts evenly, until it is dark amber. Add hazelnuts, stirring until coated. Transfer to foil and cool completely, then coarsely chop.

Bake pastry:

Step 9

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle. Line a large heavy baking sheet with parchment paper

Step 10

Roll out puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 17- by 10-inch rectangle (about 1/8 inch thick). Transfer to baking sheet, then cover with a sheet of parchment and top with a heavy baking sheet or sheet pan to weight down. Bake until pale golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 11

Meanwhile, stir together corn syrup and water.

Step 12

Remove top baking sheet and parchment. Generously brush pastry with corn syrup mixture and cover with parchment, then invert pastry and brush other side with corn syrup mixture. Replace parchment and baking sheet and bake until deep golden and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool completely.

Step 13

Using a serrated knife, trim edges of pastry, then halve lengthwise and cut each half into 8 equal rectangles for a total of 16 rectangles.

Assemble dessert:

Step 14

Arrange 8 rectangles on a baking sheet and dust with confectioners’ sugar to cover. (To mark pastry decoratively, see cooks’ note, below.)

Step 15

Dab a small amount of hazelnut crème in center of 8 plates, then put an undecorated pastry rectangle on top. Divide remaining hazelnut crème among pastry rectangles. Sprinkle with some of the candied hazelnuts and top with decorated pastry rectangles. Sprinkle with more candied hazelnuts.

Do Ahead

Step 16

Hazelnut crème can be chilled up to 2 days.
Candied hazelnuts keep in an airtight container 3 weeks.
Pastry can be baked 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Cook’s Note

You could serve these napoleons filled with chocolaty hazelnut crème and dotted with crumbles of hazelnut brittle instead of baked Alaska or as a second dessert course. Weighting the puff pastry with an extra sheet pan while it blind bakes is a classic way to get the crackle without the height and also gives the pastries a sleek, modern look.

To mark the pastry decoratively, heat a long metal skewer over a gas flame until very hot, then “brand” pastry with skewers to form a cross-hatch pattern. Reheat skewer as necessary.