Strawberry & Chocolate Cream Cheese Napoleon Recipe

Aside from the watching the cherry blossoms burst open and the hummingbirds make their annual arrival, one of the pleasures of spring is biting into a fresh strawberry. I am not talking about those pale red specimens that mope on the shelves year-round, tasteless and scentless. No, I am talking about the local strawberries that are available at the height of spring, that smell like tropical flowers and are sweeter than any chocolate dessert. To me, strawberries epitomize spring and the rejuvenation that the season brings. The Strawberry & Goat Cheese Green Salad that I make last week was a good start, but I was itching to work it into a dessert, such as this Napoleon.

Puff pastry is one of my favorite ingredients to work with, both for appetizers and desserts. It is easy to manipulate, it is forgiving and it willingly pairs with a variety of flavors. Puff pastry is a standard ingredient in classic Napoleon pastries, the French dessert that is also known as Mille-feuille, which means "thousand leaf". A traditional Napoleon is made with three layers of puff pastry, filled with pastry cream, and topped with an icing in alternating white and brown chocolate stripes.

Cream cheese is enhanced with cocoa and sugar to make a creamy filling for the Napoleons. The golden brown, flaky pastry layers are stacked with the chocolate cream cheese and fresh strawberries to make a dessert that is beautiful to look at and tastes even better. In each bite, you will experience the light crispness of the pastry, the creamy sweetness of the cream cheese and the freshness of the berries. It is the taste of spring all in one bite.

The recipe:

Puff pastry:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface lightly roll out puff pastry. Cut each sheet into six equal pieces. Divide evenly between the two baking sheets. Lightly brush the tops of the puff pastry with egg.

Bake until puffed and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Lift the puff pastry pieces from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks.

Chocolate cream cheese:
Into a medium bowl, sift together sugar and cocoa. In a separate bowl, combine softened cream cheese, milk, and vanilla extract by mashing with the back of a fork. Stir in the sugar mixture until combined.

Assembling:
Place one puff pastry piece on each plate (6 in all). Spread about 2 ½ tablespoons chocolate cream cheese on these puff pastry pieces. Top each with ¼ cup sliced fresh strawberries and place the remaining pieces of puff pastry on top to form a "sandwich".

Sift powdered sugar over each Napoleon and garnish with a few strawberry slices and sprigs of mint. Serve.

Strawberry & Chocolate Cream Cheese Napoleon

Chocolate Cream Cheese:
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

The rest:
2 sheets purchased puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg, whisked
1 ¾ cups sliced fresh strawberries
Powdered sugar, for garnish
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Puff pastry:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface lightly roll out puff pastry. Cut each sheet into six equal pieces. Divide evenly between the two baking sheets. Lightly brush the tops of the puff pastry with egg. Bake until puffed and light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Lift the puff pastry pieces from the baking sheets and let cool on wire racks.

Chocolate cream cheese:
Into a medium bowl, sift together sugar and cocoa. In a separate bowl, combine softened cream cheese, milk, and vanilla extract by mashing with the back of a fork. Stir in the sugar mixture until combined.

Assembling:
Place one puff pastry piece on each plate (6 in all). Spread about 2 ½ tablespoons chocolate cream cheese on these puff pastry pieces. Top each with ¼ cup sliced fresh strawberries and place the remaining pieces of puff pastry on top to form a "sandwich". Sift powdered sugar over each Napoleon and garnish with a few strawberry slices and sprigs of mint. Serve.

Makes 6 Napoleons.

Printable recipe