Petit Napoleon - Petits Fours

This miniature classic pastry is made of flaky puff dough, filled with vanilla pastry cream. The fondant icing is applied warm and has a spider design.

Category:
Petits Fours

Serving Size:
12 Pieces

Difficulty Level:
Expert

Photo Gallery:
No

Storage Factor:
+1 Day

| Napoleon Square |

Ingredients Required: Napoleon Square

	Ingredient	Quantity
1.	Puff Pastry Dough	1 sheet (9" x 10")
2.	Vanilla Pastry Cream	8 ounces
3.	White Fondant	6 ounces
4.	Chocolate Fondant	1 ounce

Preparation Instructions: Napoleon Square

12 free samples remaining.
Buy the cookbook for just 6.95

Process	Instructions
1. Bake	The puff dough must be baked very complete. Start by docking it all over from edge to edge. This is important to allow the steam to escape during the baking process. Too many holes will make the sheet lay really flat and too few holes will cause it to be very puffy. Depending on what you use to prick the holes this may take some experimentation. Baking on a parchment paper will be advised. Start out with a hot oven (425°f) Once it has puffed up the heat can be reduced. If it puffs too much you can pierce the area with a narrow tipped knife. Reducing the heat to 375°f continue baking until it is golden brown all over. A nutty aroma should develop when it is done. If it is not baked completely the sheet will collapse and the flaky layers will form a tough leathery layer. Cool completely before using.
2. Prepare	Using a tranche board as a guide, trim very little from the edges and slice the sheet in half, so that each half is the same size.
3. Assemble	Pick your best surface for the top. The flat (baked) bottom will be the top smooth surface. The other flat baked bottom should be placed on the tranche board. Spread the vanilla pastry cream evenly from edge to edge. Overlay the other sheet. Using another tranche board or a flat pan press down evenly and firmly to compress the cake.
4. Warm	Using the Bain Marie warm the fondant to 110°f. Put the chocolate fondant into a pastry bag with a small plain tip (#2) or snip the end from a new bag to create a small opening.
5. Apply	Using a spatula apply the white fondant to the entire top surface, working quickly. Now, with the pastry bag drop a continuous line of chocolate fondant in a back and forth motion until you have many close parallel lines. For best results draw the line off the edge of the cake onto the tranche board before you reverse directions to draw the next line.
6. Decorate	The pattern is achieved by taking a small knife blade and dragging the tip of the blade through the liquid top. This will distort the chocolate lines, within the white background. Reverse direction with each line. Work quickly, and drag the knife through the fondant in evenly spaced lines.
7. Chill	Chill several hours if possible before cutting.
8. Slice	With a dry - hot knife trim the four edges to create even sides. Wash and dry knife after each cut. Be sure to consume the cut off edges as soon as possible. (Ha ha) Then slice the cake down the middle into two thin strips. Wash and dry the knife each time. Slice the two strips into the 12 small pieces.
Additional Comm`ents:	Store chilled and best if served the same day.