Bacolod Napoleones with Custard Cream
Recipe Guy
Merienda and Bakery
Bacolod Napoleones are flaky rectangular puff pastries filled with custard cream and finished with a smooth white sugar glaze.
About This Recipe
Local name: Napoleones
Napoleones are a Bacolod bakery classic: crisp puff pastry, creamy custard, and a thin white glaze. The pastry should stay flaky, so the custard must be chilled and thick before assembly.
Ingredient Notes
Puff pastry
All-butter puff pastry gives the cleanest flavor and most dramatic layers.
Custard
Cook the custard until thick, then chill it fully so it does not soften the pastry.
Glaze
The glaze should be pourable but thick enough to set into a smooth cap.
Assembly
Fill close to serving for the crispest layers.
Bacolod Napoleones with Custard Cream Recipe
Bacolod Napoleones are flaky rectangular puff pastries filled with custard cream and finished with a smooth white sugar glaze.
Yield: 12 pieces Serving size: 1 pastry
Yield note: Store-bought all-butter puff pastry makes this practical for a home kitchen.
Shopping List
Pastry
- All-butter puff pastry
- Egg for wash
Custard
- Milk
- Egg yolks
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Butter
- Vanilla
Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Milk or water
Ingredients
Custard Cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Pastry
- 1 pound all-butter puff pastry, thawed but cold
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk or water
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Whisk yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl until smooth.
- Heat milk until steaming. Slowly whisk half into the yolk mixture, then return everything to the pot.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and bubbling.
- Whisk in butter and vanilla. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and chill until cold.
- Heat oven to 400 F. Roll puff pastry slightly and cut into 24 equal rectangles.
- Place rectangles on lined sheet pans, brush lightly with egg wash, and prick centers with a fork.
- Bake 18 to 22 minutes until puffed and deeply golden. Cool completely.
- Whisk powdered sugar, milk or water, and vanilla into a thick smooth glaze.
- Split pastry rectangles if needed. Pipe or spoon chilled custard onto 12 pieces and top with remaining pastry.
- Spoon glaze over the tops and let set for 15 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Estimate
Estimated per pastry using all-butter puff pastry, custard cream, and sugar glaze.
Tips For The Best Bacolod Napoleones with Custard Cream
- Keep pastry cold: Cold puff pastry rises higher and flakes better.
- Chill custard fully: Warm custard softens the layers and slides out.
- Bake until deep golden: Underbaked puff pastry collapses and tastes doughy.
- Glaze after filling: A freshly glazed top gives the clean bakery look.
How To Serve And Store
Serving: Serve the day they are assembled for the crispest texture.
Make Ahead: Bake pastry and make custard one day ahead; assemble before serving.
Refrigerate: Refrigerate assembled pastries up to 2 days.
Freeze: Freeze unfilled baked pastry pieces, not assembled Napoleones.
Reheat: Do not reheat assembled pastries; refresh empty pastry pieces in a low oven before filling.
Safety: Cool perishable leftovers within 2 hours and reheat cooked foods to steaming hot before serving again.
Common Questions
Can I use store-bought puff pastry?
Yes. All-butter puff pastry makes this recipe realistic and still excellent.
Why did my pastry get soggy?
The custard may have been warm or too loose, or the pastries were assembled too far ahead.
Can I make mini Napoleones?
Yes. Cut smaller rectangles and reduce baking time slightly.
Is this the same as French mille-feuille?
It is related, but Bacolod Napoleones are usually smaller, glazed, and shaped for bakery-style snacking.
