Ingredients
for the pastry layers
30 wonton wrappers
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
6 teaspoons sugar
for the caramel sauce and mousse
3 tablespoons plus 3/4 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 3/4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 3/4 cups whipping cream, room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
Additionally, you will need
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
Directions
First, make your pastry layers: Preheat oven to 350F. Line a cookie sheet with silpat or parchment paper. With a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut your wonton wrappers into rounds. With a pastry brush, brush both sides of each wonton wrapper with butter and place on cookie sheet. They can be fairly close together (they will not spread) but not touching. sprinkle the top side with sugar. Bake pastries 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Watch them closely as they can go from brown to burnt in a matter of seconds. Cool pastries on sheets.
To make caramel sauce and mousse: Pour 3 tablespoons water into small work bowl or cup. Sprinkle with gelatin; let soften while preparing caramel sauce. Combine sugar, corn syrup and 3/4 cup water in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, frequently brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup turns deep golden brown, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1 3/4 cups cream and butter (caramel will bubble up vigorously). Return to low heat; stir until any bits of caramel dissolve.
Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce into glass measuring cup; set aside pan of caramel sauce. Place ramekin with gelatin mixture in small skillet of simmering water. Stir until gelatin dissolves and mixture is clear, about 1 minute. Mix gelatin into measured 1 1/2 cups hot caramel; cool just to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Beat chilled whipping cream in large bowl to medium-firm peaks (do not overbeat). Gradually pour cooled caramel-gelatin mixture over cream, folding constantly but gently. Chill mousse 15 minutes.
Assembly and final decoration: Arrange 10 of the pastry rounds on a cookie sheet. Pipe approximately 1/2 inch of mousse onto each one and place a second pastry round on top. At this point, you should refrigerate for 1 hour to let the mousse firm up. Repeat by piping an additional 1/2 inch of mousse on the second (which will be the middle) pastry and add final pastry layer. Refrigerate again for 4-6 hours until set.
Prior to serving, dust napoleons with powdered sugar. Transfer to plates. Re-warm sauce over low heat just until pourable; drizzle sauce onto each plate and over napoleons.
