Does anyone have a recipe for making napoleons? I would like to make them for the holidays, the ones in the bakeries in my area are always tasteless and soggy.

Hey Crazy, Try this recipe. Bananas Foster Napoleons
By Karen Foster
There's a trend in fine restaurants towards "vertical" food presentations. Entrées are stacked high, and desserts tower on their plates.

Several years ago I taught a New Orleans-inspired cooking class and wanted something special for dessert. The Bananas Foster Napoleons I came up with were the perfect blend of components, highlighting different cooking techniques including making pastry cream, caramel and the perfect Bananas Foster. The presentation highlighted a traditional dessert with a new, more modern presentation.

Bananas Foster on its own is a wonderful dessert. Created in 1951 at the famed Brennan's restaurant in New Orleans by Chef Paul Blange and named after frequent customer Richard Foster, Brennan's alone flames up more than thirty-five thousand pounds of bananas each year.

This week's recipe takes the classic to a new level. Puff pastry triangles are layered with the hot bananas, cool vanilla cream and a luscious warm pecan sauce. Although I originally taught the recipe making everything except the puff pastry from scratch, the recipe presented here takes shortcuts that make preparation a cinch.

Frozen puff pastry is a wonderful product. Simply thaw, cut into the desired shapes and bake on parchment paper to fill in a variety of ways. This week's recipe only uses half a package, so seal the remaining sheet of pastry in a zip-top plastic bag and return it to the freezer for another use.

Instead of making your own pastry cream, I've come up with a quick vanilla cream using instant pudding mix and whipping cream. The result is rich and delicious, and almost as good as the real thing.

The pecan sauce also has been simplified. Simply stir some toasted pecans into prepared caramel ice cream topping and heat.

The final presentation of this dessert is spectacular, and no one will ever know the ease with which is was prepared. Prepare the puff pastry triangles and vanilla cream ahead, then make the Bananas Foster and pecan sauce right before serving. When time is really short, serve the Bananas Foster as they do at Brennan's, over vanilla ice cream.

Bananas Foster Napoleons

1 sheet of puff pastry (1/2 of a 1-pound package), thawed
1 3.5-ounce box instant vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
1 12-ounce jar caramel ice cream topping
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 ripe bananas, peeled and quartered lengthwise, then cut into thirds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon banana liqueur, optional
1 ounce rum, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unfold puff pastry on a flat surface and cut along fold lines into 3 rectangles. Cut each rectangle in half, then cut each half into two triangles. Place triangles on parchment lined baking sheets and bake for 15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Set aside until ready to use, or prepare up to a day ahead and store in a tightly sealed container.

In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix with whipping cream and milk. Beat at low speed with hand-held electric mixer until blended, about 2 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, prepare pecan sauce and Bananas Foster. Combine caramel sauce and pecans in a medium saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat until sauce is warm.

To prepare the Bananas Foster: Heat the butter and brown sugar over medium heat in a large skillet until caramelized. Add the bananas and cook until tender, turning once. Stir in cinnamon and liqueur. Pour rum on top of mixture and boil briefly. (Be careful, as the rum may ignite. If it does, do not stir, just stand back and let the alcohol burn out.)

To assemble Napoleons: Slice a triangle of puff pastry in half. Place bottom half on serving plate. Layer with some of the bananas, then top with 1/4 cup of the vanilla cream and the remaining puff pastry triangle. Spoon the pecan sauce over top and around the plate. Repeat process for additional servings.

Makes 12 servings.

Note: When serving fewer than 12, remaining puff pastry triangles can be frozen in a plastic container with a tight fitting lid for one month. Place reserved caramel sauce in a jar and refrigerate. Happy muching! Tom