I was curious how this delicious pastry filled with fruit and creamy pudding came by its name. Napoleons seem to be a Neopolitan invention as they originated in Naples, Italy. The French adopted the dessert, calling it "mille-feuille" or “ thousand leaves” for the many layers of pastry. As the dessert traveled from France the description of their place of origin, Neopolitan, became corrupted to the more familiar Napoleon associated with France, but there is no evidence that Emperor Napoleon had anything to do with these particular pastries. Napoleons traditionally have a confectioners sugar glaze on top (1 Tablespoon water to 1 cup of confectioners sugar) but I eliminated this to control the sweetness (and carb count). They are also typically larger in size and frequently have 3 ... [Read More]
pudding
Strawberry Shortcut Mousse
Strawberry Shortcut Mousse -- light, refreshing, the perfect end to a spring meal. It is quick and easy to make and can be dressed up to look quite spectacular without piling on extra calories or carbohydrates! You can also freeze Strawberry Shortcut Mousse in molds or small paper cups for a cool snack enjoyed by all ages! Strawberries were known in the Roman Empire as early as 234 B.C. where wild berries were used for medicinal purposes as well as eating. The berry is also indigenous to North America where Native Americans used them as well. Well before 1600, early colonists were impressed with the native way of mixing crushed red berries with cornmeal then baking the mixture for strawberry bread. They adapted the dish and Strawberry Shortcake was born. The scientific name, ... [Read More]
