December 24, 2010 - 4:22am
Josephine? A pastry called Josephine?
A friend who lived for some time in New Orleans tells me about a pastry called a Josephine. She cannot tell me exactly what it is, but describes it as a sort of Napoleon but with chocolate. And that's all she can tell me. That and the fact that she is craving them. I make a fantastic Napoleon but I have no idea what the Josephine is. A Google search - an extensive Google search - tells me such a thing is indeed from New Orleans and that's where the trail goes cold. I can learn all I want about the Emperor and his Mrs. a few patisseries called Josephine's and a lot of other interesting bit wholly irrelevant information. But, alas, nothing on the Josephine.
Can anyone enlighten me? Lead me to a New Orleans recipe?
Thanks
Kim
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I don't know if this is what your are looking for but this is what I have found so far.
http://www.free-recipes.co.uk/josephine-s-napoleon.html
If I can find more, will let you know.
Merry Christmas!
I tried looking up 'chocolate napoleon' for kicks. Since Josephine was Napoleon's wife, I would assume that the chocolate version may be so named, but according to this website, the French term 'napoleon' is believed to be a corruption of 'napolitan', 'of Naples'). With this in mind, it may be that the term was later assumed to be derived from the emperor instead, and the variations would then have been based on that assumption. (I was bored this a.m.). Pure conjecture, but here's the link:
http://parispastry.blogspot.com/2009/04/chocolate-napoleon.html
Merry Christmas!
http://www.ifood.tv/network/josephine_pan_cookies/recipes
doing a bing search (www.bing.com)
Found another link that has the whole recipe. But, am not sure if this is it or not.
http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/102745/Josephines-Napoleon
I have emailed my friend to press for more specifics, and as I type I am still awaiting her reply. Scant as her description was, I am not sure these links are what she is after. I can't say 100% though. My understanding - after I asked her once - is that it is the pastry cream filling that is chocolate but I'm not certain that's all she said. Also, as she is not a baker herself, her understanding is a bit challenged. If it is nothing more than making the crème pattiserie chocolate, then I'm home free, a piece of cake, so to speak.
Thank you all for the assist and the links. I will let you know the upshot when I get this sorted out. And in any event, as with much of baking, even if I'm wrong and my experiments and attempts do not meet the dream, it's still a good possibiity that some delightful confection will come of it regardless.
Thanks
Kim
Ok, it seems my friend worked at a pastry shop or someplace that at least made some pastry, in Austin, Tx., not New Orleans (where she has also lived) and it's very possible that this particular shop added chocolate to the creme patisserie for their Napoleons and christened the new creation "Josephine". And that's as far as it ever went. This would at least support the fact that I cannot fnd a single reference to any such pastry anywhere other than in conversation with my friend.
So thanks for the help & interest.
Kim
A deli in my home town made Josephines. They were basically made from Sinclair pastry friends in about a five inch circle then halved, filled with a rich custard (like a Boston cream pie filling) and then topped with a chocolate icing. The deli topped theirs with slivered almonds.
Sorry my auto correct feature thought "eclair" should be "Sinclair"