Napoleon is one of the most beloved desserts in Russia. That version consists of layers upon layers of rich and moist cream and dough that practically melt in your mouth. Usually, it doesn’t involve fruit, although recently all kinds of variations have been popping up in bakeries. Here, we’ve decided to make a much healthier version of an old favourite.
Crust:
1 cup sunflower seeds – soaked for 2 hours
1/2 cup almonds – soaked overnight
handful of pecans
5-6 dates – pitted
2 tablespoons of raw honey, or more – to taste
3 fresh peaches – pitted
1/4 cup walnut, or other nut oil
a pinch sea salt – optional
1 1/2 cup flax seeds – ground
purified water for thinning
Blend all the ingredients except flax seeds and water in a food processor until smooth. Add flax seeds and water, mix well. Spread crust mixture very thinly on teflex sheets. Dehydrate at 115F for approximately 6 hours, flip over and carefuly remove teflex sheets. Dehydrate for another 2-4 hours until the crust is no longer sticky, but still pliable. Cut into uniformed rectangular pieces, dehydrate until completely dry and crispy.
Raspberry Sauce:
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
raw honey to taste
In a strainer, mash the raspberries with a wooden spoon, pushing the raspberry puree through the strainer, leaving the seeds behind. Mix in the honey.
Slice the peaches for the filling thinly, arrange them on teflex sheets, spread the raspberry sauce on top. Dehydrate at 115F for about 2 hours, or until the peaches look and taste lightly baked. The dehydration is optional.
Vanilla cream (from Raw Food/Real World):
1 cup fresh coconut meat
1 cup cashews – soaked for 4 hours
1/2 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup purified water
seeds from 1 vanilla been, or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients in high speed blender until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.
For the assembly, spread the coconut cream on each layer of crust using a piping bag or spatula. Top with peach slices or pitted and halved cherries. (The trick for pitting fresh cherry is using a bobby pin to twist out the pit). Repeat, layering the finished crusts on top of each other. Make as many layers as you like, decorate the upper layer with cream, fruit and/or fresh mint leaves. These Napoleons taste just as delicious immediately after assembly as they do after some time in the refrigerator, when they become soft and moist, with the cream absorbed into the crust.
Dining and Cooking