Chicken Liver Pate (AIP, Paleo, Low FODMAP)

If someone had told me two years ago that I’d not only like liver pâté, but my body would crave it, I would have thought that person was crazy. But it’s true. Not only am I consuming chicken liver pâté, but I’m making it myself, which is true dedication for this former vegetarian.

I didn’t have a lot of trouble when it came to the concept of eating offal, especially something as mild as chicken liver pâté, but I did have a bit of a hang up on making it myself. Last November, I finally found the courage to consider making pâté. I bought a package of chicken livers, only to chicken out (ha!) & have them go bad in the fridge before I could make the pâté. The second time, I finally convinced myself to go ahead and make my friend Martine’s pâté recipe. While I didn’t love the process of working with raw liver, the results were delicious & I found my body craving the pâté on the days I wasn’t eating it. Perhaps the high nutrient density of the liver has something to do with that (read more about liver & organ meat here)

I have made pâté fairly regularly over the next few months, even traveling with it when I’d go on trips. But this summer, when I found myself needing to go low FODMAP for SIBO, I fell off the pâté bandwagon. I loved Martine’s pâté recipe, but it had all sorts of ingredients that I needed to eliminate, like onions, garlic & mushrooms and I was concerned I wouldn’t like pâté once I took out those key ingredients.

As I was grocery shopping a few weeks ago, I found a large display of organic chicken livers & my body immediately started craving pâté again! It seemed perhaps time to start experimenting on a low(er) FODMAP pâté recipe. I’ve been fortunate to begin adding back in some higher FODMAP foods, like the apples in some of these images, but I wanted to keep the pâté base on the lower FODMAP side. Three of my favorite ingredients came to the rescue: bacon, leek greens & garlic oil. My first attempt was much more delicious than I anticipated, and there were many people over on Instagram who also seemed interested in a low FODMAP pâté recipe, so I’m sharing it here.  

Spreading the pâté on cucumbers or plantain chips is my favorite low FODMAP methods of eating it. If you’ve reintroduced some FODMAPs, I also really like apple slices, celery sticks, & homemade herb crackers (you can find that recipe in my new e-book “AIP & Paleo Holiday Sweet Treats”).

Note on FODMAPs: FODMAPs are confusing things... Certain resources will say that one item is “ok” and other resources will list that item as “avoid.” I am choosing to get my information about FODMAPs from Monash University & their app. Monash is continually updating their information & they are great about listing what quantity of food (both by volume & by weight) keeps it within the low FODMAP guidelines. As always, though, you know your body best. Just because one list says a food is fine, doesn’t always mean your body will be fine with it. Or on the flip side, just because one list says a food is on the avoid list, doesn’t mean your body is automatically going to be bothered by it. Do what makes your body & mind feel the best. 

Chicken Liver Pâté

Yields 5-4oz jars

4 strips of Bacon

110 g (1 1/2 cup) Leek Greens

1 lb Organic Chicken Livers, rinsed 

1 tablespoon Garlic Olive Oil

1/2 cup Red Wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon) 

1 teaspoon Thyme, dried

1/2 teaspoon Parsley, dried

1/2 teaspoon Sage, ground

1 each Bay Leaf

4 tablespoons Bone Broth

1 tablespoon fresh Parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt 

1. In a large non-reactive skillet (i.e. stainless steel, not cast iron), brown the bacon over medium high heat. Once the bacon is cooked through, remove from the pan (reserving for later), but keep the grease in the skillet.
2. Add the leek greens to the hot pan & briefly sauté. Move the greens off to the side & add the chicken livers. Drizzle the garlic olive oil over the livers. Cook for 4 minutes, or until brown on one side. 
3. Flip the livers over, add the wine & dried herbs. Stir to combine. Cover the pan & reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the lid & cook an additional 3 minutes. The alcohol cooks off during this process, making it safe for AIP. 
4. Add the liver mixture to a large food processor, along with the cooked bacon, bone broth, fresh herbs & salt. Puree until smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor as needed. Taste & add additional salt, if needed. 
5. Portion into small cups (I like to use 4 oz mason jars). Chill in the refrigerator until cold. Consume within 4 days, or freeze for longevity. A word of caution, the pâté may become a bit more grainy & firm once frozen & thawed, but it still tastes great. 
6. Serve the pâté with veggies (I like cucumbers best) or fruit (I like apples, though they are a higher FODMAP food that I have successfully reintroduced) or homemade AIP crackers.

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Mickey Mouse Macarons & Disney Princess Macarons (GF)

I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing -

 that it was all started by a mouse. 

-Walt Disney

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Walt Disney World with my sisters. Our trip had three main purposes... First, to have an awesome sisters weekend! Second, to cheer and support my sister Jennifer as she ran the 2014 Disney Princess Half Marathon. And third, to experience actual Walt Disney World for the first time!  

right photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

Yes, we twenty-something ladies had never before been to Disney World! And I had never attended a race anything remotely like the Disney Princess Half Marathon. 25,000-ish runners!  Wow!  So inspirational to see all the runners, many in costume, complete such an impressive feat! 

photo credit: Jennifer Vein

It only made sense to also concentrate on doing as many princess-y things as possible during the trip, since the race was princess themed, and after all we are ladies who grew up watching princess movies.  We may have looked a little silly as adults with no children standing in lines to meet & take photographs with the princesses, but seriously, you only get to experience your first Disney visit once (even if you are a grown up).

I also wanted to take along a special Disney-themed treat for the three of us to eat while in FL... Something that was gluten free, since a couple of us have been watching our gluten intake. I settled on one of my favorites: French Macarons, but not just plain ones….

I created 5 special macaron styles: Mickey Mouse shaped and 4 varieties inspired by our favorite Disney princesses. Unintentionally, we happened to take pictures with these 4 favorite princesses during the trip too!

Cinderella-inspired Macarons: blue shells with spiced pumpkin filling

Inspired by Cinderella's carriage turning into a pumpkin at midnight! 

right photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

Beauty and the Beast-inspired Macarons: yellow shells with chocolate ganache

Inspired by Belle's party dress

left photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

Mulan-inspired Macarons: green shells with cherry almond filling

Inspired by Mulan's touching conversation with her father in a cherry blossom orchard following her humiliation at the matchmakers. 

 right photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

Sleeping Beauty-inspired Macarons: pink shells with raspberry cheesecake filling

Inspired by Aurora's dress & her explorations in the forest (where she could have foraged for berries)

left photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

After photographing the macarons at home, I carefully packaged them in bubble wrap and a sturdy box & transported them in one of my carryon pieces of luggage. They made a great extra treat during our stay (and were also something that didn’t cost a fortune to buy within the parks).

photo credit: Disney World Photographer as part of the Memory Maker program

The trip itself was magical.  “Magical” is such a common cliche when referring to Disney, but honestly, I can’t think of a better, more applicable adjective. 

We knew the time would be short and that marathon activities (as well as preparations before and recovery afterwards) would take precedent. With less than three days of active park time, there was no possible way to see everything, so we concentrated on the Magic Kingdom (the quintessential Disney experience) and Epcot.  

I cannot say enough good things about MyDisneyExperience (which also is an app for your phone!!) and the new FastPass+ system/Magic Bands. Through MyDisneyExperience, we pre-scheduled a few FastPass+ options for the really popular things (i.e. Enchanted Tales with Belle, Peter Pan’s Flight, Under the Sea, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Mission: Space, Maelstrom, etc...). Because we were a little late in trying to make dining reservations (oops!), we ended up winging it and doing more quick service/casual dining options instead. But winging it allowed us to share small items at many different places as we walked through the parks. Like Micky Mouse shaped cake pops and rice krispy treats :) My one food regret from the Magic Kingdom is not trying a Dole Whip--the line was too long.  

Throughout the Disney parks, there is no shortage of Mickey Mouse-shaped things, food included...

In several of the bakeries/gift shops we were able to watch cast members prepare some of the desserts, like dipping the cake pops and caramel apples.

My favorite non-Micky Mouse-shaped food experiences came in the World Showcase area of Epcot. We visited Epcot for a few hours on our last day before flying back to our respective cities. 

We only saw just an overview of all the countries, but we were able to take a few food breaks.  In the Morocco area, we stopped for some much needed caffeine and to share a tangerine sponge cake roll.  In the England area, we shared fish and chips for lunch. 

Just before leaving, I dashed back to the France area to pick up a few items from the Les Halles patisserie.   

 I couldn’t resist trying one of their raspberry macarons, (though I do think I preferred my macarons to theirs).

Sadly, all great things must come to an end, including this fantastic sisters trip. Already, I’m dreaming of going back... I’m hoping to participate in one of the in the next couple of years? Perhaps not the half marathon, but maybe the 5k or the 10k. I even bought a race shirt to help motivate me to train. And there are still parks left to explore (we didn’t even try to go to Hollywood Studios or the Animal Kingdom or any of the water parks). In addition to starting training, I’d better start scheming another Disney dessert for the future trip! Until next time, Disney World… You were truly magical and inspirational. 

Disclaimer: This post has absolutely no official affiliation with Disney.  All thoughts are purely my own. Photos taken by Disney were personally purchased through their Memory Maker program. No compensation was received for this post, other than the magical memories :) 

Macaron Base

Note: If you want to make all 4 colors, plan to make this recipe twice. Cut each batch in half and color each half of a batch one color. 

It is VERY IMPORTANT to have ALL YOUR MIS-EN-PLACE in place BEFORE beginning.... Ingredients measured, pastry bags/tips prepared, sheet pans lined (with printed out guides underneath the parchment paper, food coloring out, spatulas/bowls/scales handy etc....

180g Almond Flour

240 g Confectioners Sugar

3 g Meringue Powder

2 g Salt

80 g Sugar 

140 g Whites, room temperature 

1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or other oil-free flavoring) 

AmeriColor Gel Paste Food Color

Blue shells (Cinderella) 2 drops sky blue 

Green shells (Mulan) 7 drops lemon yellow, 2 drops leaf green 

Yellow shells (Belle) 5 drops lemon yellow

Pink shells Aurora) 2 drops deep pink 1 small drop ivory 

1. Prepare sheet pans 5 half sheet pans (or 4 half sheet pans, plus two quarter sheet pans) by lining them with parchment paper. Place guides for 1) full Mickey heads, (print this file) 2) Regular macarons (print this file) underneath the parchment paper. 
2. Prep 4 piping bags. Fit one with a large round tip (I used an Ateco 804) Note: I only have one 804 tip, so I had to wash it between colors. 
3. Combine almond flour and confectioners sugar in food processor and pulse to combine & break up any larger almond particles. Divide the dry ingredients into two bowls, each weighing 210 g. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the meringue powder, salt and sugar. Mix well to incorporate all the meringue powder. 
5. Whip the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix first on medium speed.  Once the whites begin to get foamy, gradually add the sugar/meringue powder/salt mixture, and then increase the mixer speed to high.  Mix until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla bean paste & mix until just combined. 
6. Remove the meringue from the mixer and divide into two bowls, each weighing around 112 g.
7. Add the desired color to one meringue bowl and briefly swirl in with a spatula. Add one bowl of the divided dry ingredients at once and mix until everything is completely combined into a shiny mass & the mixture forms ribbons that will dissipate.  Remember, you can always add more folds later, but you cannot take them back!  
8. Test the mixture by piping a test shape.  If the piped shape holds a peak (like a hershey's kiss) that will not dissipate after you bang the sheet pan on the counter, the mixture needs a little more folding before the rest of the shells are piped. 
9. Pipe shells onto the appropriate sheet pans. Bang the pans of piped macarons on the counter. 
10. Repeat steps 7 to 9 with the second bowl of bowl of meringue. Then, repeat the whole recipe again to make 2 more colors, if desired. 
11. Allow the shells to dry 45 mins to 1 hr, depending on the humidity. The shells are ready to bake when they have developed a skin and are dry on top. 
12. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake one pan at a time.  As soon as the pan is placed in the oven, drop the temp down to 300 F. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan and bake another 8-10 minutes, depending on the size of the shells. The pans with the smaller ones will take less time than the pans with the full Mickey heads. 
13. Allow the shells  to cool on the sheet pan. 
14. Fill with appropriate filling (see recipes below) and refrigerate at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to meld. Macarons filled with the fillings below will keep over a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 

Filling Recipes

• I had roughly 8 oz of Swiss Meringue Buttercream leftover from the Pistachio Raspberry Cake, but if you don't have leftover icing, I've included the recipe at the bottom.  
• If you plan on making all fillings, I suggest making them in the order I've listed here. 
• I created a fifth hybrid filling by mixing leftover Belle Ganache with leftover Aurora Raspberry filling. It was super delicious & I used it to fill the macarons that had different colored tops & bottoms you see in the below image. 

Mulan’s Cherry Almond Filling

4 oz Swiss Meringue Buttercream, room temperature

3 oz Cherry Preserves

1/4 tsp Almond Extract

2 drops Pink coloring (optional) 

1. Mix all ingredients well. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes. Mix. If the filling has thickened enough to pipe, place into a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and pipe a little onto the bottom of a green macaron. Top with a second macaron & press lightly to adhere. 
2. Refrigerate for at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to develop before serving. Store leftover macarons in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Aurora's Raspberry Cheesecake Filling

2 oz Swiss Meringue Buttercream

2 oz Seedless Raspberry Jam

1/2 tsp Cream Cheese Emulsion

1.  In a small microwave safe bowl, heat the buttercream and raspberry jam until melted. Stir until well combined. Add cream cheese emulsion.  
2. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator & chill for 20 minutes. Mix. Refrigerate 20 more minutes.  If the filling has thickened enough to pipe, place into a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and pipe a little onto the bottom of a green macaron. Top with a second macaron & press lightly to adhere. 
3. Refrigerate for at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to develop before serving. Store leftover macarons in the refrigerator for up to one week.
4. Mix leftover raspberry filling with leftover ganache for an amazing hybrid filling. 

Belle's Chocolate Ganache Filling

4 oz Heavy Cream 

4 oz Dark Chocolate, chopped {I used 60% chocolate} 

1. In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it just simmers. 
2. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for a minute, then whisk until all the chocolate is melted & the mixture emulsifies into one mass. 
3. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes. Mix. If the ganache has thickened enough to pipe, place it into a a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and pipe a little onto the bottom of a yellow macaron. Top with a second macaron & press gently to adhere. If the ganache is still runny, refrigerate longer, stirring every 10 minutes. 
4. Refrigerate the filled macarons for at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to develop before serving. Store leftover macarons in the refrigerator for up to one week.
5. Mix leftover ganache with leftover raspberry filling for an amazing hybrid filling. 

Cinderella’s Spiced Pumpkin Filling

3 oz Swiss Meringue Buttercream, room temperature 

0.35 oz Brown Sugar

3 oz Canned Pumpkin Puree

1/4 tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Nutmeg, freshly ground, if possible

1/8 tsp Ground Ginger

1/2 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste

1. Mix all ingredients well. Place into a piping bag (or a ziplock bag with the corner cut off) and pipe a little onto the bottom of a blue macaron. Top with a second macaron & press gently to adhere. 
2. Refrigerate for at least 24 hrs to allow flavors to develop before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4 oz Egg Whites

8 oz Granulated Sugar

12 oz Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature 

splash Vanilla Extract

1.  In a very clean metal mixing bowl (preferably one that attaches to a stand mixer), whisk together the egg whites and granulated sugar. 
2. Place the mixing bowl over a small sauce pan of simmering water to make a double boiler.  Continue whisking the whites and sugar until all the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches at least 140 F on an instant read thermometer.  
3. Remove the top bowl (being careful not to burn yourself on the hot metal of the bowl or on any drips from the hot condensation on the bottom of the bowl) & attach to a stand mixer. Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until a fluffy meringue forms & the bowl cools to room temperature. 
4. Once the meringue cools completely, lower the speed of the mixer to medium and begin adding the butter, one tablespoon at a time. 
5. After the butter has all been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla. Mix on medium high speed just to ensure everything is combined. 
6. Hold the icing at room temperature until ready to use. 

Pistachio Raspberry Napoleon

In high school, I had the privilege of traveling to France (and Monaco) for 17 days with my French class.  I did not so much enjoy high school, but I really, really loved that trip! We started in Paris & then traveled via motor-coach in a giant circle around the rest of the country.

For most of the trip, we ate lunch on our own in whatever city we happened to be visiting that day.   Even in high school, I knew that someday I wanted to study pastry.  I am not at all ashamed to say that most every lunch included dessert.  Sometimes, dessert was the only food group!  Luckily, the friends I made during the trip agreed with dessert for lunch :)

One day, towards the tail end of the trip when we were in the norther part of France, along the cost, I bought a “Mille-Feuille” (also known as a “Napoleon”) for lunch.  It was a beautiful pastry, layered with cream & strawberries, and topped with a healthy dusting of confectioners‘ sugar.  Somewhere in my boxes of France mementos at my parents’ house is a photo I took of the pastry...

While the napoleon may have looked exquisite & delicious, it only took one bite for me to realize that the pastry was burned.  Badly burnt.  Sadly, I ended up throwing out the pastry layers and just eating the cream & strawberries.  Even though this first napoleon experience was not-so-great, I knew that someday I would eat a better one.

That trip to France did really help further my palate, & it exposed me to new things within the culinary world . Pistachio, in particular, remains one of my all time favorite flavors.  As does red currant.  And, of course, I fell in love with croissants, pain au chocolat, jam & nutella for breakfast.

Fast forward just a few years (ha!) to my time in culinary school.  Laminated Doughs & Breakfast Pastries quickly became my favorite class.  We made our own puff pastry, laminated it with European butter, and one week we turned some of the finished puff pastry into amazingly delicious, yet challenging Napoleons.  Finally, I tasted a real napoleon that wasn’t burned!

Classical napoleons, topped with poured fondant & chocolate stripes, aren’t an easy task.  They require lots of work & also require the person making/assembling them to be on top of their “mis-en-place,” meaning that everything must be completely ready & in place before the assembly process begins.  I struggled with the napoleon as a student & while my pastry was delicious, it wasn’t nearly as beautiful as it should have been (or as beautiful as Chef Jeff’s was).  When I became an instructor & taught the Laminated Doughs class, I still was a little nervous on napoleon day when I had to demo this challenging item to 16 eager students (and then grade them on their results)....

While I love the classical napoleon, both for it’s flavor and for the skill it requires one to possess to execute flawlessly, I experimented with alternate presentations for the same components.  The squares were pre-cut to their serving size.  The vanilla diplomat cream filling was decoratively piped.  Fruit could be added.  The fondant & chocolate topping was exchanged for a pattern of powdered sugar.

I have a terrible habit of hoarding ingredients I deem “special.”  As I was brainstorming future posts & looking through my cabinets & freezer, I remembered the remaining piece of gluten free blitz puff pastry that needed to be used before it developed freezer burn.  And in the dark, back corner of the pantry, I discovered an even bigger gem: pistachio paste!  Ironically, I brought the pistachio paste back from my second trip to France .  I’ve been saving it for a special occasion, but really, that just means it’s just hiding in my pantry.  My aformentioned love of pistachio drove me to buy the paste three years ago, but allowing it to just sit in the back of the pantry really does no one any favors.  So, I cracked the can open, inhaling the wonderful fragrance of pistachios &  was inspired to make a pistachio napoleon with raspberries.  Not only are pistachios and raspberries visually pretty together, their flavors also are a great compliment.

I knew there wasn’t enough leftover blitz puff pastry to make very many napoleons, so in lieu of just eating the pistachio diplomat cream with a spoon (which it IS delicious enough to do), I bought a box of commercial puff pastry.  I used the regular puff pastry to make a couple napoleons to give as thank-you gifts.

In one bite of the napoleon, I’m transported both back to my trips to France, and also to my days as a culinary student & instructor.  Good memories :)


PISTACHIO RASPBERRY NAPOLEONS 

• In the above images, the larger napoleon was made with commercial, store-bought puff pastry. The smaller, individual size napoleon was made with gluten free blitz puff pastry.  
• The batch of pastry cream & diplomat cream will make enough to fill two sheets of regular puff pastry and all the gluten free pastry rectangles as well. 

Baking Commercial Puff Pastry Sheets (large Napoleons) 

1. Allow the puff pastry to thaw at room temperature for approximately an hour.  Preheat the oven to 400 F. 
2. Open the package & separate the two pieces of puff pastry.  Save the second piece for later (or hold it in the refrigerator until the first pieces is done & then repeat the steps.) Gently open the folds of the pastry.  
3. Using a pastry wheel & a ruler (I like to use my quilter’s ruler), cut off the edges of the puff pastry pieces, just to expose the lamination.  Cut each piece into three equal pieces approximately 3 inches wide.  
4. Place the 3” wide pieces onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Use a fork to dock the dough (make little holes in it) all over the surface of the dough.  Top with a second piece of parchment & a second sheet pan.  The puff pastry should now be sandwiched between the parchment & the pans.  Add a heavy, oven-safe weight to the top pan--I like to use my cast iron skillet.  
5. Bake the skillet-topped pans for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven & remove the cast iron skillet (DON’T FORGET THAT THE PANS ARE HOT!!) Flip the pans with the pastry over & remove the top pan (which was previously the bottom) and the top layer of parchment.  Return the pan to the oven (the bottom pan will be upside down, but that’s OK). and continue baking until the pastry is golden.  Rotate as needed to promote even browning.  The finished pastry should be quite brown, but not burned. Mine took approximately 7 additional minutes to bake.  Allow the baked pastry to cool at room temperature.  
6. After the rectangles have trim with a small, sharp paring knife until all the pieces are the same size & the edges have been re-exposed. Save any scrap pieces to eat with leftover diplomat cream :)  Some of the rectangles may break, but just use those for the bottom or inside layers when assembling. Decide which piece is the prettiest & reserve that one for the top.  Set aside until ready to assemble.

Baking Gluten Free Blitz Puff Pastry (individual Napoleons)

1.  Allow the frozen blitz puff pastry to thaw at room temperature for approximately 10 minutes (for a flat sheet)
2. Use a ruler & pastry wheel to cut the dough into 2x4 inch rectangles.  
3. Place the rectangles onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Return to the freezer for 10 minutes. 
4. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 
5. Bake the rectangles for 25 minutes (or until lightly golden).  Remove the pan from the oven.  With an offset spatula, very carefully flip each piece over.  They do tend to ooze a bit of butter & that hot butter will burn!  
6. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 5 to 10 more minutes, or until the pastry is golden.  
7. Remove from the oven & cool to room temperature.  

Pastry Cream
Note: Cut the batch in half if you aren’t planning on assembling more than 1 napoleon (i.e. using more than 1 sheet of commercial puff pastry).  I bought my pistachio paste in France, but you can find several kinds here.  Alternately, unsalted pistachios can be steeped in milk & then pureed, but the flavor will not be as strong & the texture will be much more grainy.   

9.75 oz  Milk
1.5 oz  Pistachio Paste (similar here)
1 fl oz  cold Water
0.15 oz  Granulated Gelatin (approximately half a packet)
2 oz Egg Yolks (approximately 4 yolks, don’t worry if it goes a little over)
4 oz  Granulated Sugar
0.85 oz  Cornstarch
0.55 oz  Butter

1. In a medium sized stainless steel sauce pan, combine the milk and pistachio paste.  Heat over medium heat until it simmers, whisking often.  Remove from the heat, cover & allow to steep 10 minutes or so while the other ingredients are prepared. 
2. In a microwave safe small bowl, add the cold water.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water.  Stir lightly to ensure all the granules are moistened.  Set aside to bloom.  
3. Separate the cold eggs.  Reserve the whites for a different use. 
4. In a medium sized heat-proof bowl (glass, metal, etc.), Whisk together the granulated sugar & cornstarch.  
5. Return the pistachio milk to the stove top & heat over medium high heat until it begins to steam.  Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks into the granulated sugar/cornstarch mixture.  Place a damp towel or a silicone pot holder underneath the bowl if it moves around too much.  Do not allow this mixture to sit or the sugar may cause the egg mixture to chemically cook & create lumps in the final cream. 
6. Slowly temper the hot pistachio liquid into the egg mixture, while whisking constantly.  Once all the two are combined, return them to the sauce pan and heat over medium high heat, whisking constantly. 
7. Continue cooking & mixing until the custard boils.  Allow to boil for a minimum of 15 seconds (count slowly), then remove from the heat.  Whisk in the butter
8. Place the bloomed gelatin into the microwave & heat on high for 10 seconds (or until liquid).  Whisk the melted gelatin into the custard.  Pour the custard into a separate bowl & cover with plastic wrap touching the surface.  Refrigerate until ready to make the diplomat cream, just before assembly. 

Diplomat Cream 
Wait to make the diplomat cream until just before assembly! It won’t pipe as well if made earlier. Cut the batch in half if you aren’t planning on assembling more than 1 napoleon (i.e. using more than 1 sheet of commercial puff pastry)

16 oz Pastry Cream (with the gelatin added) 
16 oz Whipping Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or substitute extract) 

1. Approximately 30 minutes before making the diplomat cream, remove the pastry cream from the refrigerator & allow to come to room temperature. 
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream until medium peaks form. Beat in the vanilla bean paste. 
3. Whisk the room temperature pastry cream to break it up a bit.  Add half of the whipped cream to the pastry cream & whisk to combine.  Pour the pastry cream/whipped cream back into the bowl of whipped cream & gently fold to combine.  
4. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.  
5. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I used an Ateco #808). Reserve any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  

Tri-layer Assembly
Baked Puff pastry pieces, trimmed (regular, not gluten free ones)
Diplomat Cream
1/2 to 1 pint Raspberries, unwashed 
Confectioners sugar 
Pistachios, finely chopped (optional garnish) 

1. Build the napoleon on a parchment lined sheet pan.  Pick through the raspberries & decide which ones are prettiest for the outside edges and which ones are not as beautiful that may be hidden on the inside.  Set aside a couple of extra pretty garnish berries, if desired. Lay out the raspberries on some paper towel.  Do NOT wash them. Due to their fragile nature, the raspberries may not hold up as well if they are washed & they risk bleeding into the pastry cream.  
2. On the base layer, pipe three large dots/rounds with the diplomat cream along the short side of the baked puff pastry.  Next to the dots, snuggly place 4 raspberries (or however many fit best), remembering to put the prettiest ones towards the outside where they will be seen.  Repeat the cream dots & raspberry rows throughout the remaining width of the pastry.  Top with a second piece of puff pastry & gently press to adhere, but not so hard that the cream and berries are squashed.  
3. Repeat the cream and berry layer process on the second tier of pastry.  Top with the prettiest piece of pastry. Lightly press. 
4. Place the pan into the refrigerator to chill the napoleon for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. 
5. Just before serving, cut parchment paper into equal strips. Lay the strips diagonally across the top of the pastry.  Liberally sift powdered sugar over the top.  Gently remove the strips, being careful not to disrupt the sugar pattern.  On one corner, lay an extra line of chopped pistachios. Top with a couple additional fresh raspberries. 
6. Serve immediately.  Use a hot, but dry, serrated knife to cut the napoleon into pieces.  Because pastry will begin to get soggy, this dessert is best consumed within 24 hours of assembly.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container (or well wrapped) in the refrigerator.  Leftovers will become soggy, but will still still taste delicious.  

Individual variation (Gluten Free) 

1. Follow the same steps as before, only make the individual napoleons two layers instead of three.  

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