Blueberry Lemon Napoleon is a three-layered puff pastry dessert filled with homemade blueberry filling, tangy lemon curd, and stabilized whipped cream. This elegant treat is finished with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, making it a stunning and delicious dessert for any occasion. If you’re a fan of strawberry desserts, try my Easy Strawberry Napoleon for a fruity twist!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Blueberry Filling:
For the best results, use fresh blueberries. If you only have frozen blueberries, thaw them before making the filling. However, if you use frozen berries, add them all to the filling instead of reserving any for later.
Puff Pastry:
You’ll need two sheets of store-bought puff pastry, thawed as per package instructions. If you’d rather make your own, I have a homemade Puff Pastry recipe that works perfectly—just leave out the cinnamon for this dessert.
Egg Wash:
An egg wash made with egg and milk helps the pastry achieve a beautiful golden-brown color. If you don’t have milk, water works as a substitute.
For a dessert like this, using stabilized whipped cream is important as it holds its shape better over time. If you don’t have stabilized cream, serve the dessert immediately to prevent regular whipped cream from deflating. Store-bought whipped topping, like Cool Whip, can also be used.
Lemon Curd:
Lemon curd brings a burst of tartness to balance the sweetness of the blueberries and cream. I recommend homemade lemon curd for the best flavor and color, but store-bought lemon curd works just as well.
Differences Between Stabilized Whipped Cream, Regular Whipped Cream, and Cool Whip:
- Stabilized Whipped Cream: Contains stabilizers (such as cream cheese or gelatin) to help it maintain its texture over time, making it ideal for layered desserts and piping.
- Regular Whipped Cream: Soft peaks of whipped heavy cream that are delicious for topping desserts but tend to lose their structure quickly. It’s best used immediately.
- Cool Whip: A store-bought whipped topping that holds its shape well but contains preservatives and sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup.
Make-Ahead Tips
You can prepare parts of this dessert in advance to save time. Bake the puff pastry ahead of time and freeze it until needed. You can also make the blueberry filling, stabilized whipped cream, and lemon curd (if homemade) a few days in advance. The blueberry filling can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, whipped cream for 2-3 days, and lemon curd for up to 2 weeks.
Customizing Puff Pastries
Feel free to get creative by cutting the puff pastries into different shapes using cookie cutters. You can adjust the baking time based on the size of the shapes—smaller ones take about 10 minutes compared to 13-14 minutes for rectangles.
Storing Blueberry Lemon Napoleon
After assembling, you can store the Blueberry Lemon Napoleon in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Be sure to cover the dessert with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to keep the puff pastry from drying out. When ready to serve, allow the dessert to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to slightly soften the pastry.
Ingredients
Blueberry Filling:
- 2¼ cups (330g) fresh blueberries, divided
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Napoleon:
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed per package directions
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons whole milk
- 1 cup lemon curd, divided
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- 1½ cups stabilized whipped cream, divided
Instructions
Blueberry Filling:
In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, the blueberries break down, and the mixture becomes thick and bubbly. You may need to mash the blueberries slightly with a fork. Set aside to cool.
Once the filling is cool, fold in the remaining ¼ cup of fresh blueberries.
Napoleon:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk the egg and milk to create the egg wash.
Place one puff pastry sheet on each baking sheet. Brush the tops of the puff pastry sheets with the egg wash. Cut each sheet into 6 equal-sized rectangles, leaving about ½-inch (1.3 cm) between each piece.
Bake for 13-14 minutes, or until the pastries puff up and turn golden brown.
Allow the pastries to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, gently separate the top layer from the bottom layer of each pastry rectangle.
Assembly:
On a serving plate, place one pastry rectangle. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of stabilized whipped cream over the top.
Add 2 tablespoons of blueberry filling on top of the whipped cream.
Place a second pastry rectangle on top, cut side up. Spread 2 tablespoons of lemon curd evenly across the second layer.
Top with a third pastry rectangle, then dust with confectioners’ sugar. Repeat the process for the remaining pastries, creating 8 individual desserts.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
This Blueberry Lemon Napoleon is a delightful and elegant dessert, perfect for impressing your guests or treating yourself! The combination of fresh blueberries, zesty lemon curd, and flaky puff pastry is irresistible.
