Today, I’m feeling a little nostalgic for some of my favorites from the OLD Boulangerie Patisserie in Epcot’s France Pavilion.
Napoleon at the old Boulangerie Patisserie
Sure, the new and improved Boulangerie Patisserie Les Halles, with its expanded counter and indoor seating, is super nice! And the pastries and other offerings are pretty delicious.
Still, every once in awhile, I get a craving for something that’s been tweaked right out of existence, like the classic Napoleon that used to be one of the Boulangerie Patisserie’s hallmark pastries.
If you enjoy this delicacy as well, I have great news: with a few steps, you can replicate the awesomeness at home!
Napoleon
From Epcot’s Boulangerie Patisserie
Serves Approximately 8-12
Ingredients:
Napoleon
1 pound puff pastry
2 cups pastry cream
3/4 cup Chantilly cream
Confectioner’s sugar
Vanilla Pastry Cream
2 cups milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 teaspoons flour or cornstarch
Chantilly Cream
1 cup creme fraiche, very cold
3 tablespoons cold milk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon shaved ice or water
Instructions:
Vanilla Pastry Cream
1. Place the milk and vanilla bean in saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and keep hot.
2. Beat the sugar and egg yolk together until the mixture whitens and forms a ribbon; then gently stir in cornstarch or flour.
3. Strain out the vanilla bean and pour the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixture, continually beating.
4. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
5. Boil for one minute stirring vigorously, then pour into a bowl and lightly rub the surface of the cream with a lump of butter to keep skin from forming as it cools.
Chantilly Cream
1. Mix the creme fraiche with the milk in a chilled mixing bowl; add sugar, vanilla sugar, and the shaved ice or ice water. Whip at low speed for one minute, then whip at high speed for one to three minutes more or until it stands in soft peaks. Avoid whipping too long.
3. Chantilly Cream keeps for 24 hours if refrigerated in a tightly closed container.
Assembly
1. Roll out the pastry into 3 rectangles and bake until lightly browned.
2. When the three sheets have been baked, select the best rectangle to serve as the cover or top layer of the pastry.
3. Turn this rectangle over and dust generously with confectioner’s sugar.
4. Broil for one minute, watching to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn.
5. Allow to cool.
6. Fold the vanilla pastry cream into the Chantilly cream.
7. On the first rectangle pastry, spread a layer of this cream.
8. Place the second rectangle on top, spread it with the cream as well, and then cover with the glazed rectangle of pastry.
8. Sprinkle the top with the confectioner’s sugar.
Will you be making this Napoleon for your next special occasion? Weigh in below!
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The recipes are my favorite part of the food blog!!! Thanks for adding to them.Not sure if I will make this one anytime soon.
Thanks Valerie!
My family and I will be heading out to WDW this summer and I am SO disappointed to hear that this delicious Napoleon is no longer there. I just had it there two summers ago in 2012!! Thank you so much for this recipe! I hope it really does do the old Napoleon’s justice!!
I’ve been missing these too! I wondered if anyone else noticed they were missing! I’m an annual pass holder and would get these at least every other time I went to EPCOT. I doubt I could ever make them taste as good as the originals were!
Has anyone made this? I’ve tried twice and my chantilly cream has never thickened. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. Any suggestions?
Renee – They still have Napoleons – they just have a different topping and just don’t seem as good. It’s still better than no napoleon at all. Everything else I’ve tried there has been great – but the old napoleons were my favorite wdw treat. 🙁
AJ – Have you made these yourself? I’ve always been fascinated with pastry cream but I’ve never tried making it. I made your ooey gooey toffee cake recipe – my husband loved it and swears it was just like the one we had in November on our honeymoon!
Nicole and Amber — They’re on my to-do list to make soon! I’ll keep you posted about results, but I’ve seen some really positive reviews on them! 🙂 So glad the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake was a hit!
Thanks for posting this. I had the “new” Napolean last year and it was not good at all, while hte old one was spectacular. I’ll have to make these sometime.
Kevin — You’re welcome! Let us know how it turns out for you!
If anyone’s interested in another point of view on the new napoleons, I had one in September and it was spectacular. The pastry was crisp and tasted like browned butter. The custard reminded me of creme brûlée. I liked the other version, but I prefer the new version.
I was super disappointed last year when we tried the “new” napoleon from BPLH. Not nearly as good as the one from the old patisserie. Thanks for this recipe!
For those who prefer the old Napoleon at the French bakery, they now have one at the Boardwalk Bakery that comes very close with the same custard filling, crisp pastry and powdered sugar topping. We enjoyed two this week while staying at BWV. 🙂
They no longer have a Napoleon at Starring Rolls. They now have mostly cupcakes in the dessert case.
The chantilly cream is far too runny! Made a whole mess of the pastry cream! I thought it was odd to add water and milk. I will look for another recipe next time, sorry. As puff pastry requires a last minute preparation I was scrambling to find a solution!
I went to WDW today and got the new Napoleon and was very disappointed. It is not that it was all bad but I really liked the old one much better. The cream on the new one is much sweeter and not as creamy. Paul thank you for the tip on the Broadwalk and I will check it out.
Sharon,
Unfortunately, BW Bakery did not offer the napoleon during our last visit in April. They are really pushing specialty cupcakes now.
i got to BW bakery today at WDW Boardwalk. Paul they did have them today but I think they changed them there also. The pastry is the same but the filling was more like whip cream with a hint of banana favor. Sure wish Disney would make the old ones again
Followed the recipe to a “T”. After folding creams together, they were runny. Tried beating more – no help…still runny.
Any ideas or what I can do to thicken cream?