Summer Fruit Napoleons

Despite my involvement with Daring Bakers, I'm not really a baker. Wednesday night, however, I had an excellent idea (if I say so myself). That idea, as many other ideas, came to me as I was falling asleep. I thought about a frozen meal that was defrosting in my refrigerator: part of that meal was puffed pastry, which I was supposed to use to wrap a piece of salmon. Instead, I decided, it would be fun to use that puffed pastry to make a summer dessert.

Thursday night when I came home, I made these Summer Fruit Napoleons. All you need is puffed pastry cut into squares and then baked according to the directions on the package (I made a few holes in each square with a fork to make sure the finished product would not be too puffy).

Then, I sliced a few strawberries and a nectarine and layered them with the puffed pastry and vanilla yogurt. Of course you can choose any other fruit and yogurt flavor: it's your food, do with it what you wish :) For example, I think it would be great to use Greek yogurt. And actually, since puffed pastry is not overly sweet, you can make these Napoleons using savory flavors!

This was a very simple dessert to make. I was almost as excited about taking pictures of it as eating it. Speaking of eating, it'd be pretty impossible to eat the Napoleon as is: it's just too high and unstable. The pictures below, thus, show the de-constructed Napoleon: a bit messy, but still delicious! The sweetness of the fruit was offset by the slightly tangy yogurt, and of course the puffed pastry added a superb crunch and butter taste.

In case you just don't feel like building towers with your food, simply combine fruit and yogurt in a bowl and add a few squares of puffed pastry: I doubt anyone will say no to this fresh summery dessert.

ooh, and Photograzing chose it as one of their favorite photos of the day :)