Today I have a yummy 5 star secret recipe for you that comes from Copenhagen Pastry in Culver City, California. Copenhagen Pastry is a Danish bakeshop offering traditional breads, cakes and pastries. One of the tasty treats they offer are the Napoleon hats. Butter cookies with an almond flavored filling and a rich chocolate coating. You can easily recreate these cookies at home using the recipe below.

Copenhagen Pastry Napoleon Hats

Cookie Dough:
2 1/2 cups (300 g) flour1
1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon (150 g) powdered sugar
1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks, or 200 g) butter, cut into small pieces, at room temperature
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (66 g) water

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, mix together the flour and powdered sugar. With the mixer running, start adding the butter cubes and continue mixing until all the butter is added and the mixture has a wet sand-like consistency.

Make an indentation in the middle of mixture and add the egg yolk and water. Mix just until all of the ingredients are combined to
form a dough. Form the dough into a flat square and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill until the dough is firm, at least 30 minutes.

Remove the dough to a lightly-floured work surface and roll to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. Use a 3-inch round cutter to cut 20 circles from the dough. Arrange the circles on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Almond paste:
8 ounces (275 g) raw slivered almonds
1/3 cup light agave sweetener
2 teaspoons almond extract
1/2 cup (100 g) sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons (20 g) egg white

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the almonds until they are very-finely ground. With the processor running, add the agave and almond extract in a slow stream until the mixture comes together to form a ball. Add the sugar and pulse until it is incorporated, then the egg white. Continue running until the mixture again forms a ball, stopping and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl once or twice if needed.

Refrigerate the paste for at least 30 minutes to cool, then divide the mixture into 20 balls (each using a heaping tablespoon of paste).

Napoleon hats:
Almond paste balls
Prepared dough circles
Melted chocolate, for coating

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Place a ball of almond paste in the center of each dough circle. Fold the cookie dough around the ball and press in three places using your fingers. Bake the cookies until the tops of the balls and edges of the cookies are golden brown.

Place the cookies on a rack until they are cool, then dip the bottoms of the cookies in the melted chocolate. Invert the cookies so the chocolate can dry.

Makes 20 Cookies.

Source: LA Times