For the Puff Pastry:

• Begin by preheating your oven to 425°F.
• Cut a 10″x15″ sheet of puff pastry into thirds. You’ll have three pieces that should be 5″x10″ each.
• Place each piece of pastry on a parchment-lined baking sheet with several inches between each piece of pastry. Lay another sheet of parchment on top of the pastry, then set a heavy baking sheet on top of it.
• Bake the puff pastry for 10-15 minutes, or until the puff pastry is a deep golden brown.

For the Pastry Cream:

• Begin by setting out and prepping all of your ingredients to avoid something scorching when you get to the next step. Also, set out a clean bowl with a fine mesh sieve placed over it.
• Separate the egg yolks and whites and put the yolks in a bowl. Whisk in the sugar, salt, and flour into the yolks until you have a thick, smooth paste that has lightened to a pale yellow–this will take 3-4 minutes by hand.
• Bring the milk to a simmer over medium-low heat, then remove it from the heat. Slowly pour a trickle into the egg yolks while whisking to warm the yolks slowly and prevent them from curdling or scrambling.
• Return the entire mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat again, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and allow it to cook and bubble for another 2-3 minutes, or until it’s thickened.
• Remove it from the stovetop and pour the pastry cream through the sieve into the bowl beneath to catch any bits of cooked egg yolk.
• Quickly stir in the butter and vanilla extract or paste until the butter has completely melted.
• Place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the top of the cream and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 4-6 hours.

For the Whipped Cream:

For the Strawberries:

• Prepare 1 pound of strawberries by washing and slicing them.
• If you wish, you can leave a few whole for the top and slice thinly from the bottom, leaving them barely attached at the top. Fan out the slices on the top layer.

For the Chocolate Ganache:

• Place 1 cup (140 g) of chopped dark or semi-sweet chocolate in a bowl. Pour 1 cup (8 oz.) of steaming whipping cream over it and allow it to sit for ten minutes.
• Add a generous pinch of salt to the ganache, then stir it until it comes together in a smooth sauce. It will be thin at first but will thicken to a sauce as it cools.

Assembling the Layers:

• On the day you wish to make the napoleon, bake the puff pastry and slice the strawberries.
• Gather all of the layer ingredients together, along with the platter you will be assembling on. Smear a bit of ganache on the plate under where the first pastry layer will be placed. This helps the pastry not slide around when you move your finished dessert.
• Place 1 piece of pastry on the plate, then spread 1/3-1/2 cup of pastry cream over it. You can decide how much you want on there, but avoid putting on too much as it may cause other layers on top to slide off.
• Spread a layer of whipped cream over the pastry cream. Place sliced strawberries on top of the whipped cream. Drizzle ganache over them.
• Repeat the steps two more times with the remaining pieces of pastry. Refrigerate the puff pastry dessert until it’s time to serve, then cut it into slices.
• Serve it with extra whipped cream and gananche.