Recipe: Napoleons

Napoleons
From Creative Cooking: DESSERTS
Yield: 8 Servings

2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup ice water
1 cup butter

CREAM FILLING
2/3 cup sugar
5 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 cup milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup butter, softened

FROSTING
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tbsp cold milk
4 oz Semi-sweet chocolate, melted

To make pastry, shift flour and salt together into bowl. Gradually add ice water, tossing moistened parts aside gently so that dough is not overmixed. Stir just until blended. Cover dough with waxed paper and let stand about 20 minutes at room temperature.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured board into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. Cut butter into 1/4-inch squares. Arrange on pastry so
that squares are equidistant from each other. Fold pastry into thirds crosswise by folding right and left sides over the center. Let rest about 10 minutes.

Roll out pastry to 1/4 inch thickness. Fold again in thirds crosswise, then roll out pastry again to 1/4-inch thickness; fold in thirds again.

Wrap lightly in waxed paper and refrigerate about 10 minutes. Reroll and fold two more times, chilling dough 10 minutes each rolling.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Roll dough into an oblong about 16 inches wide and 1/4-inch thick. Cut lengthwise into 2 sections about 8 inches wide. Cut in half crosswise.

Place on baking sheet lined with brown paper. Bake for 20 to 25
minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make filling, combine sugar, flour, and salt in top of double
boiler. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until thickened. Cover and cook for 10 minutes longer.

Stir 2 tablespoons of hot milk mixture into eggs; slowly add eggs to double boiler with remaining milk mixture, stirring constantly. Cook over hot but not boiling water, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool. Stir in vanilla. Refrigerate until chilled.

Cream butter in bowl; gradually beat in chilled cream filling. Refrigerate until chilled. Spread 2 pastry sections with this filling; cut remaining 2 sections into 2-inch-wide strips. Place strips on top of filling; cut through filling and bottom section of pastry.

Combine confectioners' sugar and milk; stir until smooth. Spread on top of pastry layers. Swirl chocolate on top of frosting.