Strawberry Napoleon Recipe

Tompouce or Napoleon?

The origin of the name tompouce is funny. I just checked it. It is originally a real Dutch pastry. This pastry is inspired by two dwarfs who traveled through the Netherlands with their acts.

The first little man was an American who traveled with a circus under the name General Tom Thumb. The Dutchman Jan Hannema was probably inspired by this name that he himself started performing under the name Admiral Tom Pouce (the French translation). His show included an act by Napoleon.

And most likely that is the namesake. The pastry is now made in many countries, for example in Belgium and France it is called a millefeuille, and in America a Napoleon. So we are back to square one.

A funny story and nice to know that you make something really Dutch. And now the recipe.

What do you need for Strawberry Napoleons?

For the preparation of a strawberry Napoleon you need the following ingredients (you can find the correct quantities at the bottom of the blog in the recipe card):

• Puff pastry - Bake the puff pastry slices and then halve them. And in between comes the pastry cream and strawberries.
• Milk, egg, and heavy cream - Ingredients for the cream. They ensure that it becomes wonderfully airy.
• Flour and Gelatin - For firming the cream. Otherwise, the filling will run out.
• Vanilla Extract - For a touch of vanilla in the pastry cream. You can also replace this with 2 teaspoons of vanilla sugar.
• Strawberries - Use fresh strawberries, which you cut into slices. And because the strawberries are an important flavor, this recipe is best in late spring and summer, when the strawberries are at their best in terms of taste. If strawberries aren't in season or you want to vary, you can exchange it with other fresh fruit like tangerines or raspberries.
• Confectioners' sugar and sugar - You use the sugar to sweeten the pastry cream. With the powdered sugar and water, you make the glaze, which belongs to the top of your napoleons!

How to make a Napoleon with Strawberries

A recipe with extensive steps, the right amount of ingredients, and which you can also easily print can be found at the bottom of the blog.

1. Halve the puff pastry into equal pieces into pastry rectangles and bake in the oven until golden brown. Let cool to room temperature. Slice strawberries.
2. Make homemade pastry cream by heating milk, sugar, and vanilla in a saucepan. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, stir the egg yolks with part of the milk until frothy. Add the hot milk drop by drop to the egg yolk mixture (if you do that too fast, you will get lumps). Put everything in the pan and let it boil until it thickens.
3. Pour the cream onto a plate or in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap (to prevent skin from forming). Let cool to room temperature.
4. Mix dissolved gelatin and whipped cream with the pastry cream, so that you get Swiss cream. Let the cream set and cool well in the refrigerator.
5. Halve the puff pastry sheets.
6. Pipe some cream on one of the puff pastry halves. Top with slices of strawberries and cover with the second slice of puff pastry. Make some glaze (by mixing icing sugar and water) and spread the glaze on the puff pastry. Top with more strawberry slices. The strawberry tompouce is ready to be served.