Napoleones with Maja Blanca Pastry Cream

Name: Napoleones with Maja Blanca Pastry Cream
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 Puff Pastry Sheet; 1 Cup Maja Blanca Vegan Pastry Cream; 1 Cup Powdered Sugar; 1 Tablespoon Milk

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Napoleones is a Filipino pastry from Negros Occidental. In this version we will be filling the puff pastry with a vegan Maja Blanca pastry cream.

Pasalubong

Pasalubong or bringing back something from your travels is a very Filipino thing to do. Especially if you are traveling within the Philippines. You bring back something from the local area to give as gifts to your friends, family and work mates. The most popular item to bring back is food. Especially if it is only made at that one place and no where else.

For us who don’t get to go back as often as we like, and when we do we don’t have time to visit all the places we want too. So I am starting a new series here called pasalubong. Focusing on sweets and other delicacies from different regions in the Philippines. Our first pasalubong recipe is from Negros Occidental and it’s called Napoleones.

Napoleones

They were invented by a lady named Conchita Conlu-Cuenca who comes from a family of sugar plantation owners. If you didn’t know Negros Occidental was once the sugar bowl of the Philippines. That industry has now been decimated for a number of reasons. Now the area is experiencing a resurgence for a totally different reason. Diversified farming. They learned their lesson from just planting one crop and now they are focusing on documenting and preserving heirloom seeds and planting them so that the earth has more nutrients and to also not loose our heritage. I highly recommend watching this video from Slow Food Negros.

Now back to Napoleones. Legend has it that Ms. Conlu-Cuenca went to Paris during the off-season and tasted numerous puff pastries at the bakeries. When she came back she wanted to make something similar and to highlight the sugar her family produces.

She made them bite size so that they could be easily eaten while playing a game of mahjong. They could pass for mahjong tiles actually! She named them after Napoleon Bonaparte because he was also a tiny bite sized man. Ha! Just kidding. I’m guessing she wanted to name it something French. That is how Napoleones was born. Now let’s make it!

Ingredients

Puff pastry. I like using ready made puff pastry it makes this easy recipe even easier.
Maja Blanca Pastry Cream. This was actually the reason why I made Maja Blanca Pastry cream. If you want to use real pastry cream use this recipe. It is recommended that you make the pastry cream first. Either the day before so that it is chilling in the fridge already or at least 2 hours before you bake the puff pastry.
Powdered Sugar is used to make the glaze for the topping.
Milk is mixed with the powdered sugar to make the glaze.

How to Make Napoleones

You only need to use half a sheet of puff pastry in this recipe and don’t roll it out either. All you have to do is cut the half sheet into 12 small squares or rectangles. Then bake it per package instructions.

Half a sheet of puff pastry cut into 12 squares on a baking sheet.

Then bake it per package instructions. Take them out of the oven and leave it on the counter to cool fully.

Once the cooked puff pastry are cool split them in the middle.

Napoleones pastry split in half on a baking sheet.

Then fill with Maja Blanca Pastry Cream. They are now halfway to becoming Napoleones!

Napoleones filled with Maja Blanca Pastry Cream

Making the Glaze

To make the glaze put the powdered sugar in a bowl and add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time mixing well.

Powdered sugar glaze in a bowl with a spoon in the bowl

Now dunk the top half of each pastry into the glaze and place on top of the pastry cream. Like a sandwich! Leave on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes for the glaze to set.

How to Serve the Napoleones

Place on a platter and have as a light snack during your mahjong sessions or at merienda.

Napoleones Tips and Tricks

Can I use the whole pastry sheet?

Yes you can! This was just a smaller serving recipe. If you do use the whole sheet, use 2 baking pans and bake 12 squares on each pan. Then double the amount of everything else in the recipe.

Can I make a thicker glaze?

Yes! Instead of adding in the whole tablespoon of milk add it one teaspoon at a time and mix well. Once you get the consistency you like stop. Or if you went to far you can also add a tablespoon of powdered sugar to the glaze at a time.

Please wait for the puff pastry to cool before filling and glazing

If you try to fill it with pastry cream while hot, it will just melt and ooze out. The same with the glaze. It won’t stay on top and just melt off.

Make the Maja Blanca Pastry Cream ahead of time.

Ideally making it the day before would be nice, but doing it at least 2 hours before is good too. Just make sure you put it in the refrigerator to chill while you are baking the puff pastry.

Can you store leftover Napoleones?

No. It’s best eaten right away. If you are making the whole sheet and not sure if it will all get eaten, just don’t fill the cooked puff pastry. Store the unfilled puff pastry in a container on the counter and lightly toast in the toaster to crisp up again. Cool it down and fill with the filling and top with the glaze.

Other Filipino Puff Pastry Recipes You Can Make:

Otap with Luya (Ginger) – Bahay Kubo Cooking Series

How to Make Cherry Macapuno Pie

Longganisa Sausage Roll Recipe