Tuesday Tips l Napoleon Pastry

Bonjour! I love Napoleon. I love making it, and I certainly love eating it. Traditionally, Napoleon is made with puff pastry, but today I want to show you a simple alternative using phyllo dough. By layering the dough with butter and powdered sugar, we create a beautifully caramelized pastry that is crisp, light, and full of flavor. To accompany the phyllo, I make a pistachio mousseline cream using pastry cream, pistachio paste, and whipped cream. Together they create a dessert with the perfect balance of crunch and softness. INGREDIENTS For the Napoleon Layers: • Phyllo dough • Melted butter • Powdered sugar For the Pistachio Mousseline Cream: • Pastry cream • Pistachio paste (approximately 2½–3 oz, or to taste) • Heavy cream, whipped INSTRUCTIONS 1. Layer sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each layer generously with melted butter and sprinkling with powdered sugar. 2. Repeat until you have 5 layers. 3. Add a generous layer of powdered sugar to the top layer. 4. Cut the phyllo into desired Napoleon portions. 5. Cover with parchment paper and a second baking tray. 6. Bake until golden brown and caramelized, approximately 20 minutes. 7. Mix pistachio paste into prepared pastry cream. 8. Whip heavy cream and gently fold into the pistachio pastry cream to create a light mousseline. 9. Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a round tip. 10. Pipe cream onto one layer of baked phyllo. 11. Top with a second layer of phyllo. 12. Finish with powdered sugar before serving. The result is a wonderfully crisp Napoleon with a light pistachio cream filling that is elegant, delicious, and surprisingly simple to make at home. Bon appétit! Chef Jacques Torres #JacquesTorres #TuesdayTips #Napoleon #FrenchPastry #PistachioDessert #DessertRecipe #BakingTips