Tag: friday foods

Lemon Berry Napoleon – Is It Good, Why Is It Called Napoleon?

Who here has tried to make three-tiered deserts, cakes included…it’s a little hairy at points, amiright? This week’s recipe by Home.Made.Interest was my first attempt at a three-tier dessert that WASN’T a cake…spoiler alert: I opted to make it two because #scarycustard.

This week’s recipe to try is a Lemon Berry Napoleon. Is it good and why is it called Napoleon? Keep scrolling for the recipe, some helpful first-time bake hacks, and if it makes the cut for recipes I make more than once. Oh, and what will the Hubs say? His review is down near the bottom, too!

The Recipe:

  • 2 sheets Puff Pastry
  • 2 1/4 tsp Powdered gelatin, , unflavored
  • Ā¼ c Warm water
  • 2 c Heavy Cream
  • 4 Tbsp Powdered sugar
  • 10 oz Lemon Curd
  • 1 c Strawberries
  • 1 c Blueberries
  • 1 c Blackberries
  • 1 c Raspberries
  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. Lay thawed puff pastry sheet on a floured surface and roll it out into a 12x 12 inch square.
  3. Cut the square into three 12 inch x 4 inch strips and prick them all over with a fork.
  4. Place the puff pastry strips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  5. Repeat for second puff pastry sheet.
  6. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place back in refrigerator to chill for at least 20 minutes.
  7. Once chilled remove baking sheets from refrigerator and place in over.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes until the dough begins to turn golden brown then place another baking sheet directly on top of the dough and continue baking for another 6-7 minutes.
  9. Remove the top baking sheet and finish baking for 6-7 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
  10. Remove the puff pastry sheets from the oven and while they are still warm trim the edges of the puff pastry and cut the strips in half making each one 6 inches x 4 inches (approximately).
  11. Cool completely.

LEMON MOUSSE

  1. While the puff pastry cools make the lemon mousse.
  2. Fill a small bowl with the warm water and sprinkle the gelatin over it letting it dissolve.
  3. Whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks then add the powdered sugar and the gelatin.
  4. Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks.
  5. Gently fold in the lemon curd mixing until it is fully incorporated.

ASSEMBLY

  1. You will use 3 puff pastry pieces for each Napoleon.
  2. Spread lemon mousse over the bottom piece making it about 1/2 inch thick. Top with the next piece and repeat.
  3. Top the third layer of puff pastry with lemon mousse and place on a baking sheet.
  4. Do this for all of the puff pastry and then place your 4 Napoleons in the refrigerator to firm up.
  5. Before serving top with fresh berries.
  6. Enjoy!

Baking Hacks:

  1. If your custard feels unreliable maybe knock down your layers to two instead of three, there’s no shame in modifying. Also, if you give zero shits about if it holds all three puff pastry layers then go for it! I had to bring this to a party and have it sit outside of the fridge for an hour or two so I was suspicious of the third layer.
  2. I cut the 6×4 inch puff pastry rectangles in half to make it a more manageable bite. The shape ended up being more square.
  3. Folding in the lemon curd knocked a bit of air out of the whipped cream, and I think it’s because the curd was stiff coming out of the jar. If I were to make it again I think I would scoop all of the curd out of the jar and into a separate bowl, stir the curd up so it gets fluffed (?) up and then fold into the whipping cream to keep it airy. If you try this idea, let me know if it makes a difference, I’m hopeful!
  4. If you’ve never decorated the tops of flimsy puff pastry layers with multiple pieces of fruit, give yourself grace. It’s not going to look IG cute your first go, and it’s okay šŸ˜‰

Is It Good?

And would I make it again? Not unless it was requested. No offense to the puff pastry but it’s a damn mess and a pain in the ass to assemble, lol.

Wait, why is it called Napoleon?

Per usual it depends on who you ask, but according to most it has nothing to do with the French conquerer. Instead, ā€œNapoleon translates into ā€œthousand leavesā€ for its many flaky layers of pastry surrounding its custard cream,” and you can read more about it here if you’re curious.

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Do Slutty Brownie Cups Live Up To The Hype?

Fridays are my favorite not only because it means the weekend is one work day away, but also because that means it’s time for another rendition of Try Stuff My Wife Makes with my Hubs.

I make, he tries. This week’s recipe is by Delish, so do you think the Slutty Brownie Cups live up to the hype? Keep scrolling for the recipe, some helpful first-time bake hacks, and if it makes the cut for recipes I make more than once.

The Recipe:

  • 1 box brownie mix (plus ingredients box calls for)
  • 24 oreos
  • 1 1/2 logs store-bought cookie dough
  • 1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 c. hot heavy cream
  1. Preheat oven to 350Āŗ and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. Prepare brownie batter according to box instructions. In each cupcake liner, add an Oreo. Top with a tablespoon-size ball of cookie dough and top with another Oreo.
  3. Pour over brownie batter mix until each is almost full, fully covering the top Oreo.
  4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie cup comes out almost clean, 20 to 22 minutes.
  5. Let cool, then make ganache: In a small heatproof bowl, add chocolate chips. Pour over hot heavy cream and let stand 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth and no clumps remain.
  6. Spoon ganache over each cupcake and serve.

Baking Hacks:

  1. Unless you have ginormous cupcake tin pans, the double Oreo sandwiching the cookie dough ball takes up a lot of room in the regular cupcake tin, so opt for 1.5 Oreos. One full Oreo on the bottom and then one half of an Oreo on top of the cookie dough.
  2. My grocery store didn’t have logs of cookie dough so I bought two packs of Nestle’s cookie dough (only ended up using one pack)Ā and cut each precut squares in half, so the 12 pack turned into a 24 pack and it was plenty!

Did It Live Up To The Hype?

 

Ps: Hell to the yes I would make these again, they’re easy as FUH and were a huge hit with everyone in the office and at home. The texture differences were raved about and I couldn’t get over how easy it was because everything was store bought and simply assembled.

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The Best Cafe Du Monde Beignet Copycat Recipe

When I say I found the best Cafe Du Monde Beignet copycat recipe, I am not just saying it to get clicks. I have been looking for good beignets ever since I went to Mardi Gras back in 2015 with a girlfriend.

I used to get really excited when I’d see a restaurant with beignets on its dessert menu, but after a number of flat donut disappointments, I became extremely jaded. “Yeah, let’s see what their definition of a beignet is…”

Nothing will ever compare to the experience I had in New Orleans, but the days of dismay are OVER. I’m going to ruin the ending and tell you, these are flipping worth it!

But first, letā€™s recap in case you donā€™t know my rulesā€¦

Iā€™m not a food blogger. I share recipes Iā€™ve tried and if Iā€™d make them again. I hate the word foodie and hefty paragraphs filled with adjectives about the recipe, and photographs that have dusted flour and cutting boards.

You can expect the recipe I used, helpful tricks or what not to do and a couple (probably one) real shots of what it looked like when my bake came out of the oven.

THE RECIPE:

  • 3/4Ā cupĀ warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
  • 1 1/4Ā teaspoonsĀ active dry yeast
  • 1/3Ā cupĀ granulated sugar
  • 1/2Ā cupĀ whole milk
  • 1Ā egg, beaten
  • 3/4Ā teaspoonĀ salt
  • 18Ā ouncesĀ (3 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 2Ā tablespoonsĀ vegetable shortening, melted
  • Cottonseed oil for frying
Dust with
  • Powdered sugar

 

  1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water in a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer. Let the solution sit for 15 minutes and it will become foamy.
  2. Whisk in the milk, egg, and salt. Then mix in half of the flour with a large spoon. If using a mixer, use a paddle attachment on low to medium speed.
  3. Mix in the shortening.
  4. Add the remaining flour and mix with the spoon until you can use your hands, then turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead just until smooth. Don’t over-knead or the dough will get too tough. If using a mixer, swap out the paddle for your dough hook and knead just until the dough is smooth.
  5. Place the dough in an oiled bowl covered with plastic wrap or a towel in a warm spot to rise for 2 hours. The dough will double in size.
  6. Preheat 3 to 4 inches of cottonseed oil in a pan or deep fryer to 370 degrees F.
  7. On a heavily floured surface, roll out the dough until it is 1/4-inch thick. Use a pizza slicer or knife to cut the dough into 2 1/2-inch square pieces and fry 3 to 4 pieces at a time in the oil. Immediately after dropping the dough into the oil use a large spoon to gently splash hot oil over the top of each piece. after 30 to 45 seconds, flip all of the beignets over and continue to baste with the oil. After another minute or so, flip the beignets again, and continue to cook until the beignets are a deep golden brown. Continue flipping the beignets over to brown them evenly on both sides. After about 3 minutes, they should be done. Let them drain on a cooling rack or a paper towel-lined plate for a minute until you can handle them.
  8. Serve three beignets on a plate with a very heavy dusting of powdered sugar on top.

MY FINDINGS:

  1. It’s important to care about the temp of your warm water. I microwaved warm water from the tap for 15-seconds, and it was almost spot on.
  2. I couldn’t find Cottonseed oil, so I used Peanut oil because Google told me it was the closest to cottonseed…
  3. The next time I make these I’m doubling the size in the name of authenticity.

WOULD I MAKE IT AGAIN?

Hell yes. I served with a raspberry sauce because SCREW THOSE WHO SERVE IT WITH COFFEE FLAVORED WHIPPED CREAM! I put one container of raspberries, half a lemon’s juice and 1/4 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan and boiled it down on low heat for 15(ish) minutes. I then put it through a sieve to rid the seeds and this little extra step is WORTH IT.

Have you ever had a beignet at Cafe Du Monde?

New Orleans quote

Huge shoutout to The Food Hacker for this pot of gold. You can find it, here.
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