Caramel Mousse Napoleons with Caramel Sauce

from Debbie Warren's cooking class:

Pastry Layers
2 frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed
2 T. unsalted butter, melted
6 t. sugar


Caramel sauce and mousse
3 T. plus 3/4 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin


2 3/4 cups sugar
2 T. light corn syrup
1 3/4 cups whipping cream, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter


1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream


Powdered sugar for decoration

Make pastry layers:

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on lightly floured surface to 13x11-inch rectangle. Trim sheet and cut into four even pieces. Pierce square all over with fork; transfer to 1 ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet, transferring to another ungreased baking sheet. Brush rectangles with melted butter; sprinkle each with 1 teaspoons sugar.

Bake pastries 8 minutes. Reverse position of baking sheets and bake until pastries are golden, about 8 minutes longer. Cool pastries on sheets

.

Make caramel sauce and mousse:

Pour 3 tablespoons water into ramekin. Sprinkle with gelatin; let soften while preparing caramel sauce.

Combine sugar, corn syrup and 3/4 cup water in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, frequently brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns golden, Swirl pan occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 3/4 cups cream and butter (caramel will bubble up vigorously). Return to low heat; stir until any bits of caramel dissolve.

Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce into glass measuring cup; set aside pan of caramel sauce. Place ramekin with gelatin mixture in microwave for 5 seconds at 1/2 power. Stir gelatin until mixture is clear. Mix gelatin into measured 1 1/2 cups hot caramel; cool just to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat chilled whipping cream in large bowl to medium-firm peaks. Gradually pour cooled caramel-gelatin mixture over cream, gently folding together. Chill mousse 15 minutes.

Arrange 6 pastry squares on a large clean baking sheets; drizzle each with 2 tablespoons caramel from pan. Spread 1/2 cup mousse evenly over each square. Chill until mousse begins to set, about 1 hour. Reserve plain pastry square.

Place 1 pastry layer with mousse on small baking sheet or board. Top with second layer, third layer, then plain pastry, aligning layers. Press assembled pastry lightly so that layers will adhere. Repeat with last 4 squares. 

Cover and chill thoroughly. Cover and chill remaining caramel sauce in pan.

Using serrated knife, cut each pastry crosswise into 6 pieces. Dust napoleons with powdered sugar. Transfer to plates. Rewarm sauce over low heat just until pourable; drizzle sauce onto each plate. 

Caramel Mousse Napoleon with Caramel Sauce and Berries

Bon Appétit  | September 2000

by Nicole Coady

Finale, Boston, MA