White Chocolate Mocha Napoleons

* Exported from MasterCook *

White Chocolate Mocha Napoleons

Recipe By : Chocolate to the 10th Degree
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chocolate Desserts
Pastries

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
White chocolate mascarpone cream:
6 ounces white chocolate -- coarsely chopped
1 1/2 Cups heavy cream -- divided
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Mocha mascarpone cream:
6 ounces Swiss dark chocolate -- finely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream -- divided
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder -- ex. Medaglia d'Oro
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Assembly:
1/2 l7 1/4 oz.bx frozen puff pastry -- one sheet
Nonstick cooking spray
Dark mocha sauce:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate -- coarsely chopped
1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
creme anglaise:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 vanilla bean -- split lengthwise
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Garnish:
Confectioners' sugar -- for dusting
Cocoa -- for dusting
Chocolate-covered espresso beans

Make the white chocolate mascarpone cream:
Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring 3/4
cup of the cream to a gentle boil. Remove from heat. Pour the hot cream over
the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate.
Gently whisk until smooth. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese, vanilla and almond
extract. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4
hours.
Make the mocha mascarpone cream: Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a
small saucepan bring 3/4 cup of the cream and the espresso powder to a gentle
boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 30
seconds to melt the chocolate. Gently whisk until smooth. Whisk in the
mascarpone cheese, coffee liqueur and cinnamon. Cover the mixture with
plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Make the pastry layers:
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper.
Thaw the sheet of puff pastry according to the package directions. Lay the
sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Using a large chef's knife, trim the
sheet so that it is a perfect square. Using a fork, prick the pastry well all
over its surface. Using the knife, cut the sheet into four squares . Transfer
the squares to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the
freezer for 10 minutes.
Remove the prepared pastry squares from the freezer. Spray a wire rack which
is the same size as the baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Place the
rack upside down over the pastry squares. Bake the squares for 20 to 25
minutes, until golden. Transfer the squares to a wire rack and cool
completely.Using a large knife, cut each of the squares in half diagonally to
form 8 triangles. Using a small knife, carefully slice each triangle in half
crosswise to form two thin layers from each triangle. There will be a total
of 16 triangles. You will need 12 triangles for this recipe. The extra are in
case of breakage.
Make the dark mocha sauce:Melt the chocolate with the coffee according to the
directions in the chocolate key, or any safe way of melting.
In a small saucepan bring the cream to a gentle boil. Gradually whisk the
cream into the melted chocolate until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and coffee
liqueur. The sauce may be made up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated,
covered, until serving. Reheat the sauce over simmering water before serving.
Make the creme anglaise: In a heavy, medium non-corrosive saucepan, bring the
milk, cream and vanilla bean to a gentle boil over medium low heat. Cover the
pan, remove it from the heat and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes. Remove
the vanilla bean pieces. Using a small, sharp knife, scrape the tiny black
seeds from the inside of the vanilla bean into the milk mixture.In a medium
bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until blended. Gradually whisk the warm
milk mixture into the yolk mixture until blended. Return this mixture back to
the saucepan. Continue cooking over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with
a wooden spoon for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the custard has thickened
slightly. It is done when you can run your finger down the back of the
custard-coated spoon and a path remains in the custard for several seconds.
Do not let the custard come to a boil.
<LI>Remove the pan from the heat and immediately strain the custard into a
noncorrosive metal bowl. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of iced water and
stir the custard for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cold. (The crème
anglaise sauce may be prepared up to two days in advance, cooled, covered
with plastic wrap and refrigerated.)
Assemble the napoleons: Remove the white chocolate and mocha mascarpone
creams from the refrigerator. In their separate bowls, whisk each of the
creams to soft peaks. In a large chilled bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup
heavy cream from the white chocolate mascarpone cream with the remaining 3/4
cup heavy cream from the mocha mascarpone cream. Using a handheld electric
mixer, beat the cream at medium-high speed to soft peaks. Do not overbeat.
Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold one-half of the whipped cream
(about 1 1/2 Cups) into the white chocolate mascarpone cream. Fold the
remaining whipped cream into the mocha mascarpone cream. Fill two pastry bags
fitted with medium star tips (such as Ateco #5) with each of the creams.
Place a puff pastry triangle on a work surface. Dust the triangle with
confectioners' sugar. Pipe a layer of mocha mascarpone cream onto the
triangle. Top with another puff triangle. Dust with confectioners' sugar.
Pipe a layer of white chocolate mascarpone cream over the second triangle.
Garnish the napoleon with a chocolate-covered espresso bean. Repeat this
layering process with the remaining puff pastry triangles to form a total of
six napoleons.
Spoon some dark mocha sauce on a dessert plate. Fill a squeeze bottle with
creme anglaise sauce. Pipe a spiral of creme anglaise over the mocha sauce.
Draw a toothpick from the center of the plate to the edge, all around the
plate at 1-inch intervals. Place a napoleon in the center of the plate. Dust
with cocoa powder, if desired. Serve immediately.

YIELD: 6 Servings. PREPARATION: 2 hours plus baking and chilling times.







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