Almost Napoleon
This Almost Napoleon is everything you love about a classic Napoleon dessert. Lemon diplomat cream, fresh strawberries, and a flaky palmier cookie, but without all the fuss. It’s light, creamy, and seriously impressive for how little effort it takes.
A month or so ago, Bryan and I bought a box of palmiers from Costco. 32 ounces of cookies? That is way too much for the two of us, and we weren’t even close to finishing it. That’s how this recipe came to be. I was determined to use the palmiers for a dessert and find a creative way to work through the box.
As the name suggests, this dessert is almost like a Napoleon. Same familiar flavors, but looks nothing like the real thing. Instead of a classic vanilla pastry cream, I went with a lemon version. I also wanted to make the cream a little lighter, so I mixed it with whipped cream, which is called diplomat cream. Then paired it with fresh, tart strawberries and topped everything with a flaky, sweet palmier cookie. It was seriously better than I imagined. I loved every single bite. It’s also a great dessert to make ahead and serve individually for a larger group.
Here are some of the things that go into this dessert:
Pastry Cream:
It’s summer, so I went with a lemon version instead of vanilla. I adapted a Serious Eats recipe. All it takes to flavor the pastry cream is lemon zest. You may be surprised by how aromatic it is. I love the lemony flavor.
When cooking the milk and yolk mixture, keep whisking as the pastry cream will thicken quickly. Once it’s done, stir in the butter and transfer to a heatproof container. Place plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming. Pastry cream can be made up to 2 days ahead.
Whipped Cream and Diplomat Cream:
Diplomat cream is pastry cream mixed with whipped cream. It’s lighter and creamier. The only problem with whipped cream is that it can deflate and melt if not used quickly. Adding gelatin helps stabilize the whipped cream so it holds up much longer. Once the stabilized whipped cream is mixed into the pastry cream, the diplomat cream can be kept for up to 1 day.
Strawberry:
The strawberries I used were a little sour, which I actually loved because it cut through the sweetness. But Bryan thought they were too tart. If your strawberries are too sour, macerate them by tossing with a little sugar and letting them sit for 30 minutes before serving.
Palmiers:
The ingredient that started it all. Any palmiers will work, not just the ones from Costco.
The box of palmiers is almost all gone, and I have zero regrets. If a giant Costco purchase is what it takes to land on a dessert this good, I’d do it all over again. Creamy lemon diplomat cream, fresh strawberries, and flaky palmiers. Everything just works. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Almost Napoleon
Ingredients
- 1½ pints fresh strawberries, (wash, pat dry, hull and cut into ¼ or ⅙)
- 1½ tablespoons sugar, (optional)
- 8 palmiers
Lemon Pastry Cream:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, (about 3 lemons)
- 115 grams sugar, (½ cup)
- 35 grams cornstarch, (3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Egg yolks from 5 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, (cut into ½-inch cubes)
Stabilized Whipped Cream:
- 2 tablespoons drinking water, (at room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- For the lemon pastry cream, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add milk and lemon zest. Bring to a just a simmer. Remove from heat.2 cups whole milk, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in egg yolks until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 2 minutes. The mixture will be pretty thick.115 grams sugar, 35 grams cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, Egg yolks from 5 large eggs
- While whisking the yolk mixture, slowly pour in warm milk. Return the mixture back to the saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until thicken, about 3 minutes. Pause to check for bubbles. When it starts bubbling, whisk for 30 more seconds. Remove from heat. Whisk in butter until combined. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Cover with plastic wrap by pressing down to the surface of the pastry cream. Chill in the fridge for 2 hours or until cold.2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- For the strawberries, after cutting them, place them in a large bowl. If you want them to be sweeter (optional), toss them with sugar and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside in the fridge for about 30 minutes.1½ pints fresh strawberries, 1½ tablespoons sugar
- When the pastry cream is cold, start on the stabilized whipped cream. In a small microwave bowl, add water. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over evenly. Set aside to soften for 10 minutes. Microwave for 10 – 15 seconds. Stir to dissolve.2 tablespoons drinking water, 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
- In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add heavy cream and powdered sugar. Whisk for 1 minute at medium-high speed. Pour the warm gelatin liquid into the cream. Continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to use.1 cup cold heavy cream, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- To make lemon diplomat cream, in a large mixing bowl, add lemon pastry cream, whisk to smooth out. Whisk in 1/3 of the whipped cream to loosen the pastry cream. Then gently fold in half of the leftover whipped cream (not all) until blended.
- To assemble, in a large piping bag fitted with a ½-inch piping tip, add diplomat cream. Pipe about ½ cup of cream into each serving bowl. Divide the strawberries into each bowl. Cut the palmiers in half and place 2 halves in each bowl. Serve immediately.8 palmiers
Notes
- For the whipped cream, gelatin is added to prevent it from melting or deflating. If you want to skip the gelatin, the whipped cream should be made right before serving and the diplomat cream should be served immediately.
- To make ahead, lemon pastry cream can be made 2 days ahead. Keep in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the cream and keep in the fridge. Lemon diplomat cream can also be made 1 day ahead, but best to use within the same day. Keep in the piping bag or transfer to an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the cream and keep in the fridge.
- For piping tip, I used Ateco 866 French star. It’s ½-inch. Use any piping tip you have or like. I prefer a bigger opening for this recipe.
- If you don’t feel like using a piping bag, you can skip it altogether. An ice cream scoop or a large spoon works just as well. It may not look as polished, but it will taste just as good!
- For the strawberries, use about 3 – 4 strawberries for each serving.
- The palmiers I used are made by Sugar Bowl Bakery from Costco. I have also seen this brand in regular grocery stores, but in a smaller box. Any palmiers will work for this recipe.
- This recipe makes enough for 9 servings at ½ cup each. If you prefer more generous portions, it will serve about 8 people.
