Napoleons with Italian Pastry Cream - Pasticciera Cream

"Spring brings nice, fresh colours and a change in the types of food we prepare. I started looking for something different in an old recipe book, and found this memorable old family dessert. Napoleons were my grandmother's spring favourite for two simple reasons: eggs were cheaper in spring, and she had her own homemade butter. So the ingredients were literally at hand. My version makes the preparation time shorter, of course, because I use store-bought puff pastry. The Italian Pastry Cream takes 15 minutes to prepare, so altogether, if you start making the cream while the bars are in the oven, you need 35 minutes maximum. Tips for the pastry: if you use store-bought pastry, roll it out, leave it on the original paper, and cut it into 32 bars. Place the bars on a flat baking dish, cover with another sheet of baking paper and bake. When you roll puff pastry, make sure to get 32 bars of approx 3,5 x 1,3 inches in size. I really enjoy making edible flower dishes in my 'secret' life so I have garnished the bars with candied violets. Secret revealed ! When you finish the bars, there will be some Italian Pastry Cream leftovers. Take a tea spoon and enjoy eating it !"

NotesNapoleons with Italian Pastry Cream (Pasticciera Cream): Thin layers of puff pastry filled with smooth, silky and gentle Italian Pastry Cream, easily done.

Preparation Time15 min

Chilling Time55 min

Cooking Time2 min