Napoleon hats

Shortcrust pastry

• Mix flour, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a bowl.
• Cut the butter into small cubes and crumble it into the flour until it has a sawdust-like consistency.
• Quickly gather the dough with the egg and chill the dough for about half an hour.
• Do not knead the dough too much.
• TIP: It can advantageously be made in a food processor!
• Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a floured surface to about 3-4 mm and cut out circles around 8-9 cm.  
• Mix all ingredients together into a uniform mass and let the marzipan cake mass rest in the refrigerator for about half an hour.
• Take out the marzipan mass and form 16 small balls, each the size of a ping pong ball, around 23-25 grams, and place one ball on each shortcrust circle (use damp hands to ensure the marzipan mass doesn't stick).
• Press and fold the shortcrust pastry in three places so it attaches to the marzipan mass.
• Use three fingers and give it a light press so the shortcrust pastry sticks to the marzipan mass, forming its “triangle shape”.
• Optionally, dip the hats in chopped pistachios.
• Bake the hats in the oven at 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) in a conventional oven for about 8-9 minutes until the tops and sides are golden.
• Take them out and let them cool completely.
• Melt the chocolate - temper it if you’d like - and dip the bottom of the Napoleon hats.
• Scrape the bottom gently against the edge of the bowl so it becomes a thin and fine chocolate layer.
• Place the hats upside down at a slant and let the chocolate set before serving!
• Enjoy.