If you’d like some chocolate with your strawberries, try this
recipe, which looks as good as it tastes. Phyllo dough is available in
the freezer section of most grocery stores. If you’ve never worked with
phyllo dough, don’t let the tissue paper thin sheets intimidate you.
Just remember to keep the sheets you’re not working with covered, or
they’ll dry out. And don’t worry if they tear: they’re easy to patch
and repair. Unless I’m feeding a crowd, I seldom use a whole package at
a time. Don’t bother trying to save or refreeze extra dough sheets –
they’re inexpensive, and don’t refreeze well.
- 2 c. strawberries, washed and thoroughly drained and dried
- Sugar to taste, plus 1/4 c. for the whipped cream, preferably baker’s or bar sugar
- 1/2 package phyllo dough, unthawed according to package directions
- 1 c. dark chocolate chips, Ghirardelli double chocolate or 60 percent preferred
- 1/4 c. unsalted butter
- Turbinado or Demerara sugar, sometimes labeled Sugar in the Raw, for sprinkling
- 1 c. heavy cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- mint sprigs for garnish, optional
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Stem
the strawberries and slice them, reserving 4 whole berries for garnish.
Toss with sugar to taste and let stand for at least 1/2 hour. The
amount of sugar will depend on the tartness of the berries.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Melt
the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. When it is bubbling,
remove from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Whisk until the
chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Keep warm.
Phyllo
dough comes in 1 lb. boxes; lately most are divided into two packages
that contain half sheets. If you purchase a box with whole sheets, cut
them in half or fold them over.
Lay a (half) sheet of phyllo
dough on the parchment lined baking sheet, with the widest side at the
bottom (cover the remaining phyllo with a lint-free towel, plastic wrap
or parchment to keep from drying out). Brush and dab the sheet with the
chocolate/butter mixture. It should be just barely coated, not
saturated. Place another sheet on top and repeat for a total of six
layers. With a sharp knife cut the pastry into thirds vertically, and
in half lengthwise. Then cut each rectangle crosswise into triangles.
Lightly sprinkle turbinado sugar over the top.
Place a sheet of parchment paper over the top of the pastry and cover with another baking sheet.
Bake
for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is crisp. Remove the top baking
sheet and the parchment paper and let cool. If you will not be serving
the Napoleons within a few hours, place the pastries in an airtight
container as soon as they are completely cooled; they absorb humidity
very quickly.
Have your bowl and whisk cold for whipping the
cream. Place the cream in a bowl and add the sugar and vanilla. Whisk
until the cream forms soft peaks.
To serve, place a chocolate
triangle on a plate. Add a dollop of whipped cream (a generous
tablespoon), then spoon over some of the strawberries with the
juice/syrup that will have been created by mixing them with the sugar.
Repeat for two more layers (a total of three chocolate wafers). When
you put the third wafer on top, press very gently, then reverse the
order by putting a spoonful of strawberries, then a dollop of the
whipped cream, and then finally a whole strawberry on top. Garnish with
a mint sprig if desired and serve immediately. Serves 4.
This article appears in Jun 10-16, 2010.
