Apple Napoleons with Dulce de Leche

This past week's Top Chef challenge was to come up with "New American" cuisine to be served at Tom Colicchio's Craft restaurant in NYC. There seemed to be some confusion as to just what New American may mean, but my personal feeling is that New American is more fusion than anything else.

America has become such a melting pot (wasn't it always, though?) and expressing that through food really shouldn't be so complicated. I admit to patting myself on the back when Rhadika's dessert wontons were well-received, because I had just done similar a few weeks ago at Family.com, sans the mousse. While Carla's apple dessert was obviously well-liked, I can't help but think I'd have done it differently.

What would I have done? Well, I think the French Napoleon crossed with the classic American apple pie and a Mexican dulce de leche would be about perfect - and I have to say, they were!

Apple Napoleons with Dulce de Leche
Makes 6 pastries

2 sheets puff pastry cut into 3 inch squares - 18 total
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 large apples peeled, cored and sliced thinly
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup dulce de leche
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Bake pastry squares according to package directions until golden brown. Set aside.
Melt butter in a skillet and add apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook until apples are soft and lightly caramelized - about 10 minutes. Heat dulce de leche and keep warm. Add powdered sugar to cream and beat until stiff peaks form.

Lay out 6 pastry squares and top each with whipped cream, apples and dulce de leche. Repeat a second layer for each. Top each with a pastry square, whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon.