Napoleons with Cassis-Macerated Berries and Agave-Sweetened Cream Cheese
There are very few things that look more impressive, are more versatile and are easier to make than Napoleons. They can be served as a beautiful savory appetizer with stacked bites of veggies, organic meats and cheeses. One of my favorite examples of a savory (and Gluten-Free) Napoleon is an Eggplant Napoleon. Perfectly roasted eggplant rounds with layers of other roasted veggies and melted fresh mozzarella all skewered together with a sprig of rosemary. Or, there is also this one and this one that look pretty delicious. Yum, yum, and yum.
However, my favorite Napoleon is a delightfully sweet dessert Napoleon. I’ve seen sweet Napoleons layered with everything you can imagine: marzipan, chocolate, whipped cream, ice cream, caramel, buttercream, apples, pecans, bananas, etc. But, my favorite filling, hands down, has to be lightly sweetened cream cheese and fresh berries.
This particular recipe is incredibly adaptable and can be adjusted to fit several different dietary needs. We’ll start with your phyllo options: While I have yet to find store-bought gluten-free phyllo dough, there is this one recipe that you daring GF bakers may want to try. And, while I have yet to meet someone who is allergic to wheat that can actually still eat Spelt, I did see Spelt phyllo dough at the store if you prefer it. The folks I made this for can eat wheat, so I made it with whole wheat phyllo.
As for the cream cheese part of the equation, I used Tofutti Cream Cheese and it worked like a dream. Feel free to use the cream cheese of your choice, real, rice, or soy.
For the berries, I used real cane sugar since it breaks down the berries so nicely, but other than the fact that it softens the berries, there is no reason you NEED to use it. An equal amount of agave nectar or 2-3 Tbs. of xylitol would probably work just fine. And, feel free to use any fresh berries you would like. When it comes to choosing which ones to use, I say if it’s organic, use it. Berries really soak up the pesticides that are sprayed on them, so the conventional ones are loaded with nasty chemicals. In fact, conventional strawberries are one of the most heavily contaminated pieces of produce out there. So, choose your berries wisely.
And, finally, the Cassis. Creme de Cassis is a black currant liquor that is unbelievably fantastic when mixed with the berries. It adds such a distinct flavor that I’m not sure I would substitute it with anything else. But, as always, feel free to try out some other flavors and let me know how they work out.
NAPOLEONS WITH CASSIS-MACERATED BERRIES AND AGAVE-SWEETENED CREAM CHEESE
serves four
For the Phyllo:
4 sheets phyllo dough
canola oil spray
1/4 cup granulated sugar or xylitol
For the Berries:
1 pint organic strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 pint organic golden raspberries
1 pint organic blueberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Creme de Cassis
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
freshly cracked black pepper
For the Cream Cheese:
1 small container cream cheese, softened
3 Tbs. agave nectar
a few sprigs of fresh mint, for garnish
For the phyllo: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lie 2 sheets of phyllo on your work surface side by side. Stack one more sheet of phyllo on top of each sheet so that you have two double stacked sheets of phyllo. Spray the top with canola oil spray and sprinkle with a 2 Tbs. of sugar. Fold each sheet in half, spray with canola spray and sprinkle with another 2 Tbs. of sugar. Cut each sheet into 6 equally-sized rectangles using a pizza cutter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the phyllo rectangles on the baking sheet. Top the phyllo with piece of parchment and set another baking sheet on top. Bake until golden brown, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
For the Berries: Combine everything in a medium sized bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours to allow berries to release their juices.
For the Cream Cheese: Combine the cream cheese and agave nectar in a food processor and whiz until it is smooth. Set aside.
To assemble: Place a small dab of the cream cheese mixture in the center of a dessert plate. Place one piece of the puff pastry on the dab of cream cheese and press lightly to secure it into place. Spoon a small spoonful of the cream cheese on the pastry and top it with a very small spoonful of the berries, being sure to drain off as much of the juices as possible. Sprinkle a small amount of pepper on top and top with another piece of pastry. Push down very lightly to squeeze a little bit of the cream cheese out the sides. Then, place another scoop of cream cheese and berries on top of that piece of pastry and top with a final rectangle of puff pastry. Finish the dessert with a little scoop of cream cheese, a couple of blueberries and a little sprig of mint right on top. Repeat this process with the other three napoleons and garnish each plate with an extra sprinkling of pepper. Serve immediately.
P.S. There is no “right way” to eat a napoleon, so just dig in!
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Well said.