Financier makes a mean Napoleon

After my cream-puff extravaganza at La Bergamote, I've kind of been on a French pastry kick recently. That brought me to the doors of Financier last week, craving something sweet and creamy. After much hemming and hawing, I left with a Napoleon waiting to be taken down after dinner.

The options

And take it down I did. This delightful creation consisted of three layers of crisp puff pastry, dark and brittle with an almost burnt-caramel taste, hugging two layers of pastry cream. The bottom layer was a more eggy, translucent spread, while the top layer was creamier. They were both luscious and smooth and perfect textural foils for the shatter-crisp pastry. But wait: what's that in the middle? Ahh, it's the surprise star of the pastry: a thin layer of raspberry jam sitting atop the middle pastry layer. It lent tartness, acid, and dimension, rounding out the pastry experience.

A perfect little package

The only thing this Napoleon was missing was a layer of glaze on the top; this version substituted a demure sprinkling of confectioner's sugar. Ah, well. If nothing else, it will certainly bring me back to try the remaining jewels in Financier's case of delights.

Financier
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