Strawberry Napoleon

The first time I tried this dessert was in La Madeline, one my favorite cafes in TX. :) I've tried making a replica once before and it's far from the original Strawberry Napoleon from La Madeline. This time, I have another opportunity to make the dessert for a friend. :) Overall, I think that I learn a lot from this session (i.e. there's quite a bit of disaster involved in the process hahaha).


I initially wanted to make the dessert Tuesday night, since it's due on Thursday and I was going to the Rockets game Wednesday night, but the Napoleon I made on Tuesday was not up to standard at all. :p The puff pastry didn't puff up evenly and it just didn't look very nice. So I made it again Wednesday night after the game (btw, it's a really good game - I love watching the Rockets life in action!). I think that the ones I made last night was better than the first try. :)

The key for me this time was to cut the puff pastry dough in one clean move and therefore the dough will rise beautifully (instead of sticking together at the ends). I also put a second baking pan on top of the puff pastry to add some weight and helped in ensuring even heights for the pastry. I filled the dessert with Diplomat Cream (my favorite cream of all time made from custard lightened with whipped cream) and slices of fresh strawberries. I sprinkled the top with some chocolate sprinkles I brought from Indonesia.

Just to give an image to compare, below is a picture of the first try in making the Strawberry Napoleon. It's messy and has uneven pastry layer. I'm not too happy with the look of this one.

I gave the imperfect one to Sylvia to bring home and enjoy. Because even though the appearance may not be too good, the taste is yummy! :)