Praline Napoleons With Almond Cream Filling Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out twelve 4 1/2-by-2 3/4 inch rectangles; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and prick with a fork. Brush with egg, and cover with parchment. Top with a baking sheet. Chill in freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
• With top sheet still in place, bake until pastry is crisp and golden, 30 to 32 minutes. Remove top sheet and parchment. Let pastry cool completely on bottom parchment on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat. Stir together sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until sugar begins to melt and turn light amber, about 3 minutes. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed to prevent crystals from forming. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture turns dark amber, about 8 minutes.
• Remove from heat; stir in almonds. Pour mixture onto prepared sheet. Using an oiled offset spatula, spread to 1/8 inch thick. Let cool completely. Transfer half of the praline to a plastic bag; using a rolling pin, gently crush into very small pieces; set aside. Break remaining praline into large pieces using your hands.
• Transfer the almond cream filling to a pastry bag fitted with a petal tip (such as Wilton #127). Pipe filling onto 6 pastry rectangles; sprinkle each with crushed praline. Layer with another pastry rectangle and filling. Top each with a piece of praline.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds on a baking sheet, and toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
• Butter a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet. Spread toasted almonds in an even layer on pan. Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, brushing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. Once sugar is dissolved, cook without stirring until sugar is deep amber. Add lemon juice; immediately pour over almonds, coating with a thin layer. If caramel doesn't cover all the nuts, tilt pan slightly to distribute, or stir in nuts with a wooden spoon, being careful not to touch caramel or hot pan. Cool completely. Gently twist pan to release praline. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups half-and-half, the almond paste, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Whisk egg yolks, extract, and remaining 1/2 cup half-and-half in a medium bowl; add one-third of the hot half-and-half mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour into saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Stir in butter, several pieces at a time. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.
• Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form. Fold into custard.

Steps:

• Make meringue layers:
• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• In a large baking pan toast almonds in one layer in middle of oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until fragrant and golden, and cool completely.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Using a 9-inch springform pan as a guide, trace a circle on each piece of parchment and turn paper over. (Circle will show through.)
• In a food processor pulse together almonds, 3/4 cup sugar, and cornstarch until almonds are ground fine. In the large bowl of a standing electric mixer beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt until they hold soft peaks. Add almond extract and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks. Fold in almond mixture gently but thoroughly and divide meringue evenly between parchment circles, spreading it to fill in circles. Bake meringue layers in upper and lower thirds of oven 1 hour, or until golden. (Layers will not be completely firm.) Turn oven off. Switch positions of sheets and let layers stand in oven 2 hours, or until dry. Carefully peel off parchment. Meringue layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator).
• With a small sharp knife trim edges of meringue layers just enough to fit inside springform pan. Put 1 layer in pan.
• Scoop 1 pint ice cream and 1 cup praline butter into bowl of standing mixer and with paddle attachment distribute praline butter evenly throughout ice cream to marbleize it. (Do not over-mix or let ice cream melt.) Spread marbled ice cream over meringue layer in pan and top with remaining meringue layer, gently pressing it into ice cream. Freeze cake, covered with plastic wrap, 30 minutes.
• Beat remaining 1 cup praline butter into remaining 1 pint ice cream in same manner as above and spread over meringue layer. Freeze cake, covered with plastic wrap, at least 30 minutes, or until ice cream is firm.
• In a chilled bowl beat heavy cream with sugar until it just holds stiff peaks and spread over ice cream. Freeze ice-cream cake 30 to 45 minutes, or until whipped cream is firm. Cover cake with plastic wrap and foil and freeze at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Immediately before serving the cake, wrap a warm dampened kitchen towel around side of pan and run a thin knife around cake to loosen it. Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a serving plate. Cut cake into wedges with a knife dipped repeatedly in hot water and serve garnished with pieces of almond praline if desired.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Pour into four 8-oz. ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with almonds; set aside. , In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Spoon over almonds. , Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert plates. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• For ganache filling:
• Simmer cream and sugar in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth. Chill until just spreadable, about 6 hours.
• For almond cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper; dust pans with flour. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Using heavy-duty mixer, blend brown sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat in almond paste 1 piece at a time, then beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Fold in dry ingredients. Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack.
• For almond praline:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber, swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush occasionally. Mix in nuts. Pour onto foil; cool. Peel foil off praline. Chop praline coarsely. DO AHEAD Praline can be made 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
• For mascarpone frosting:
• Beat all ingredients in large bowl just to soft peaks (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
• Run knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out; peel off paper. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread half of ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with third cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD Cake can be made 1 day ahead; cover with cake dome and chill. Store remaining praline airtight at room temperature.
• For chocolate bark:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from over water. Drizzle all but 1 tablespoon chocolate over foil in thick (about 1-inch-wide) zigzag lines (chocolate will pool in spots). Sprinkle 3 tablespoons praline over chocolate; chill bark until firm, about 1 hour.
• Press praline around bottom 2 inches of cake; sprinkle more atop. Peel foil off bark; break into pieces. Press edges into frosting atop cake. Remelt 1 tablespoon chocolate over simmering water, stirring often. Using spoon, drizzle chocolate over cake. DO AHEAD Chill up to 4 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Bring 2 cups half-and-half, the almond paste, sugar, salt, and cornstarch to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Whisk egg yolks, almond extract, and remaining 1/2 cup half-and-half in a medium bowl; add one-third of the hot half-and-half mixture in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Pour into saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl set in ice-water bath. Stir in butter, several pieces at a time. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.
• Put cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed just until stiff peaks form. Fold into custard.

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a 3-quart saucepan, mix together sugar and baking soda. Add cream and place over medium-high heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, until golden brown and mixture reaches 235 degrees on a candy thermometer, 25 to 30 minutes. Add butter and pecans and mix together until butter has melted and mixture is well combined, about 1 minute. Using a tablespoon, drop mixture onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart; let cool completely.

Steps:

• For praline:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Scatter almonds on small rimmed baking sheet. Bake almonds until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from oven. Push almonds together in 4-inch square on sheet and cool.
• Stir sugar, 1 tablespoon water, corn syrup, and coarse salt in small heavy saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is dark amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour caramel evenly over almonds, coating completely. Let stand until cold and hard, about 30 minutes. Break praline into pieces or process to coarse crumbs. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• For custard:
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Arrange four 3/4-cup ramekins or custard cups in 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. Whisk yolks, both sugars, extract, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in cream. Divide custard among ramekins. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins.
• Bake custards until center is just set, about 35 minutes. Transfer to work surface; let stand 15 minutes. Chill uncovered until cold, at least 2 hours. Cover; chill overnight.
• Sprinkle praline over custards.