A classic French dessert, the napoleon (or mille-feuille) has layers of crisp, flaky puff pastry with rich pastry cream and is topped with a silky glaze. Using store-bought puff pastry makes it simple to put this patisserie together—be sure to buy all-butter puff pastry, as it makes a difference. Our coffee version uses a traditional pastry cream flavored with instant espresso powder, with more coffee flavor in the glaze that goes on top. We like to finish a napoleon with the characteristic feathered icing. It’s created by piping thin lines of a contrasting color, then pulling a skewer or toothpick crosswise through the lines to create the gorgeous pattern seen on napoleons in your favorite French bakery.
Bryan Gardner
Make Ahead
We recommend serving the napoleon the day it is made, but you can bake the puff pastry rectangles and make the pastry cream up to three days ahead. Store the baked puff pastry in an airtight container at room temperature; store pastry cream in the refrigerator. The glaze should be made just before assembling.