Festive Napoleons with Thyme Cream Recipe

Festive Napoleons with Thyme Cream Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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With the assembly required, we save these Napoleons for special occasions, but they're absolutely worth it. I like to experiment with unusual seasonings and thyme adds a surprising twist that works well with the honey and fruit." –Bridget Klusman, Otsego, Michigan

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Festive Napoleons with Thyme Cream Recipe

Prep: 50 min. Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Yield: 10 Servings

50 10 60

Ingredients

5 egg whites
1 cup turbinado (washed raw) sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons walnut or canola oil
1-2/3 cups chopped walnuts, toasted
CRANBERRY FILLING:
4 tangerines
1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
1/2 cup turbinado (washed raw) sugar
THYME CREAM:
1 carton (8 ounces) Mascarpone cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) plain yogurt
1/3 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Additional chopped toasted walnuts

Directions

In a small bowl, beat the egg whites, sugar, vanilla and salt until foamy. Gradually beat in flour. Beat in butter and oil. Fold in walnuts.
With a pencil, draw five 3-in. circles on a sheet of parchment paper. Place paper, pencil mark down, on a baking sheet. Spread a heaping tablespoonful of batter over each circle. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter, making 30 cookies.
Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel from one tangerine. Peel and seed remaining tangerines and place in a food processor. Add the cranberries, sugar and tangerine peel. Cover and process until chopped. Transfer to a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Cool.
For thyme cream, beat the cheese, yogurt, honey and thyme until thickened. Place one cookie on a small plate. Spread with 1 tablespoon cranberry filling and 1 tablespoon thyme cream. Repeat layers twice. Repeat with remaining cookies, cranberry filling and thyme cream. Sprinkle with additional walnuts. Yield: 10 servings.

Nutritional Facts 1 Napoleon (calculated without additional walnuts) equals 655 calories, 42 g fat (16 g saturated fat), 63 mg cholesterol, 198 mg sodium, 65 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Originally published as Festive Napoleons with Thyme Cream in Taste of Home December/January 2011, p95